Mock Draft 2017: Casserly Picks Tim Williams for Seahawks
By Ben Renner
In his latest Mock Draft, NFL.com analyst Charley Casserly picked Alabama edge rusher Tim Williams for the Seahawks at the 26th pick.
In his Mock Draft 2.0, released today, NFL.com media analyst Charley Casserly imagines a scenario in which the San Francisco 49ers trade their second-overall pick to Washington for Kirk Cousins (wouldn’t that be fun?), sending a ripple effect through the rest of the draft.
Casserly subsequently mocked Alabama OLB/DE Tim Williams going to the Seahawks in his Mock Draft crystal ball.
Casserly calls Williams “the second-best pass rusher in this draft” in his Mock Draft 2.0 on the heels of the NFL Scouting Combine. That’s second behind presumed top overall pick Myles Garrett of Texas A&M.
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Although his draft profile states that he “would benefit from a stronger initial punch,” Williams could be everything Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll hoped for when he drafted Bruce Irvin in the first round in 2012. Williams is a prototypical edge rusher coming from one of the most feared college football defensive systems ever. The 6’3″ 244-pound defensive end wasn’t as impressive as Irvin’s scorching 40 time, but he has experience getting into the backfield with regularity.
That’s the good news. Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Casserly’s Mock Draft fails to mention Williams off-the-field issues.
Williams was arrested in Tuscaloosa for driving around with an unlicensed pistol in his car early this college football season. Nick Saban, ever the honorable disciplinarian, suspended him for a half against Kentucky. During the NFL Scouting Combine this weekend, Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports reported what NFL teams knew about Williams already: that he failed more than one drug test while playing for Alabama.
To his credit, Williams has been forthcoming about his failed drug tests (other than naming the drugs he took). He said, via NFL.com, that he’s a “young player making decisions that I grew from” after the news of his failed drug tests broke to the national media. He added:
"“That’s what life is about — being a man on and off the field, owning up to your mistakes. Everyone makes them. I’m not here dancing around and joking. I know I’m here with something to prove."
The Seahawks have shown that off-the-field concerns won’t scare them away from talented players. General Manager John Schneider pulled the trigger (sorry, Tim) on Michigan defensive end Frank Clark in 2015 despite an ugly domestic violence charge. Clark hasn’t been in trouble since and registered 10 sacks last year.
Next: Three Compelling Free Agents for the Seahawks
Do you agree with Casserly’s Mock Draft? Do Tim Williams’ failed drug tests and gun charge make you gun-shy (sorry) on the Alabama edge rusher? Let me know in the comments section.