By Adam Aniba
Late round prospects can be the backbone of a teams roster. The challenge for scouts is sifting through prospects, that project to be impact players and are willing do all the dirty work to make an NFL roster.
Tulane middle linebacker Dorian Williams might be undersized by NFL standards, but looked like a man on a mission last season.
Williams boasts the speed and athleticism to cover the slot or drop into coverage when needed.
As a potential late round prospect, the Green Wave linebacker instantly adds fire to any special teams unit, with the ceiling to have a bigger role in sub-packages early on.
Dorian Williams
6'1" 228 lbs | MLB | Tulane
Proj Late 5th-6th Rd
Career (48 Games)- 306 TAK (189 solo), 27.0 TFL, 9.5 SACKS, 2 QBH, 1 FF, 2 FR, 2 INTs & 14 PD
'22 Stats (13 Games)- 126 TAK (76 solo), 8.5 TFL, 5.0 SACKS, 2 INTs & 8 PD
Background
Williams grew up Indian Land, NC and played football for Indiana Land HS. As a senior he registered 97 tackles, two interceptions, six interceptions, 11 tackles for loss and 2 fumble recoveries.
The linebacker helped lead Indian Land to the South Carolina AAA State Playoffs in '18 and win it's first playoff game since 2005.
Williams was ranked as a 2-star prospect by Rivals and #40 ranked prospect in S.Carolina. Williams had offers from S. Carolina, Troy and Tulane. The Indian Land linebacker ultimately committed to the Green Wave.
As a true freshman in '19, Williams was predominantly used as a reserve and played in 11 games. On the season, he had 9 tackles with 5 of those tackles coming against FIU (8/29).
In 2020 Williams played in 12 games, registering career highs with 98 tackles (8.2 tak per game), which led the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and resulted in Williams being named to the All-AAC Second Team.
The Green Wave linebacker recorded double-digit tackles in 5 games.
His best performance of the season took place vs Houston (10/8) when he registered a season-high 12 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss and 1 sack.
During the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Dec. 22), Williams finished the season with 14 total tackles, 10 solo, and 2.0 tackles for loss against Nevada.
Fast forward to '22 and Williams solidified himself as one of the top MIKE linebackers in the AAC. He also showed tremendous gains as a coverage linebacker with his first career interceptions (2 ints) and 8 passes defended.
Williams also looked a lot better attacking the line of scrimmage, recording career highs in tackles with 126 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss and 5.0 sacks.
PROS
Athleticism and length (33 3/4" arm length) stood out and helped him navigate the line of scrimmage when the ball carrier
Seek & Destroy mentality that was utilized as a blitzer from the slot, the edge and A/B gaps
Experienced special teams contributor with 700 career snaps during four seasons
Looked fluid when asked to drop in zone or cover the slot
Displays textbook technique as a tackler and finisher
CONS
Too often bit on play-action and needs to show more discipline in this phase of his game
More of a read & react approach vs the run, needs to be more decisive
Can get caught up in the wash at times, when attacking rush lanes
Change of direction ability will require refinement
Although ran a 4.49 sec forty, can struggle to make up ground in pursuit
Outlook
Aggressive tendencies sometimes got Williams in trouble, causing him to lose leverage and become a bystander. The Green Wave linebacker doesn't possess the overall size to outmuscle would be blockers consistently and will need to refine his counter moves on the next level.
In saying that, Williams was often designated as the Green Wave's spy, displaying tremendous gains in coverage and as a blitzer in '22.
Although Williams is projected as a WLB, his experience at the MIKE and gains warrant an extended look at middle linebacker.
Williams should be an immediate special teams contributor, but also upgrades linebacker depth for any team that selects him.
*Games Watched- 9/17/22 vs Kansas St, 9/30 vs Houston, 10/22 vs Memphis, 11/5 vs Tulsa, 12/3 vs UCF & 1/2 vs USC
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