A new series was formed over a month ago called The Future 40, and the next edition is here! The segment has and will continue to run every other day until late April as we provide you with in-depth scouting reports of some 2010 NFL Draft prospects, giving you information key to understanding some of the players’ strengths, weaknesses, projected round of selection, possibility of being picked by the Eagles, and much more! And because the Draft is an important event for the entire league, some of the top-ranked players not expected to go to Philadelphia will also be reported on. This time around, we will take to a defensive perspective and look at Dan Williams:

  • Prospect Name: Dan Williams
  • Position: Defensive Tackle
  • College: University of Tennessee
  • Height/Weight: 6′3″, 327 pounds
  • Age: 22 years
  • Class Status: Senior

Summary: Although his name is not as popular as top-ranked DTs like Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy, Dan Williams is one of the most consistent interior lineman entering the Draft with the potential to be a longtime player at the next level. A respectable student and athlete at East High School in Memphis, the physical Defensive Tackle was recruited to Tennessee with high regards, primarily because of his massive and dominant size. After receiving the redshirt status in 2005 and therefore not playing in his true freshman season, Williams began his collegiate career on the field the following season in a reserve role. He saw little playing time, but managed to show signs of success when given opportunities. He even notched a sack in spite of his rare repetitions. In ‘07, Williams’ statistics and performance rocketed, as he was given a chance to work with the starting defense. Finishing the year with a a pair of sacks and 40 tackles, he proved to the staff that he was a reliable man in the middle of the d-line. The next season, the legal studies major improved in every stat category except sacks, and began to draw attention around the NCAA as a solid defensive lineman. To close out his career as a Volunteer, he once again made a jump in the statistical aspect of the game, but also earned recognition as one of the SEC conference’s best players. Although he is not what many would call a game-changing defender or one who will completely crush opposing lineman, Dan Williams is among the top at his position heading into this April’s Draft, and should provide whichever team he goes to with a productive, consistent DT.

Career Statistics:

YEAR TOT SOLO AST SACK STF STFY FF BK INT YDS AVG LNG TD PD
2006 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
2007 40 15 25 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
2008 49 23 26 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
2009 62 30 32 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0

Notable Achievements/Awards:

  • All-SEC Honors (2009)
  • Most Improved Player Award (2006)

Strengths:

  • Is very powerful and can demolish opposing teams’ passing pocket
  • Utilizes large frame/bulk very well
  • Often locates a great point of attack from the line and acts upon it
  • Charges offensive line/blockers from a low point and drives them back
  • Is difficult to contain once he executes a solid rush
  • Recognizes many of opposing teams’ running plays
  • Has excellent defense against the running game
  • Is overall an athletic Defensive Tackle who can also pursue the ball-carrier on the outside of the field for a bit
  • Surprising quick-footed for a large lineman
  • Can shed blocks frequently and maneuver around shifting RBs or FBs who attempt to contain him
  • Has a decent amount of potential for the NFL
  • Can play in both the 3-4 and 4-3 pro defensive schemes (as a Defensive Tackle and Nose Tackle)

Weaknesses:

  • Can wear down as the game goes on
  • Sometimes lacks ability to shift in formations or change his role for a certain aspect of games
  • Doesn’t have premier pass rushing skills
  • Has had a history of only having an average work ethic
  • Can shy away from being physical enough in some instances

Projected Round of Selection: 1st-2nd round

NFL Player Comparison: Jamal Williams, free agent (most recently of the San Diego Chargers)

–

We hope that everyone enjoyed the eighteenth report for The Future 40 prospect segment, and urge you to keep checking back for more scouting analysis as the series continues all the way up until the Draft! Also, remember that we will happily take and consider requests from our fans for this series!

(picture source)



0 Comments

Dear Guest, please login to comment

Login with BlitzNation account

Create New Account | Forgot password?

OR login with Facebook


Please keep the comments clean by not posting advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks. Terms of Use.

Popular Blog Posts

Most Commented Posts

Newsletter

Categories


Archives



Follow Us


Tips

We love to hear from our users! Let us know what you'd like us to write about at tips@blitznation.com.

Contests

Current: Coming Soon!

Past: Madden 2010 Video Game or Game Controllers

About BlitzNation

BlitzNation is a community for passionate NFL fans from all across the nation, sharing their love of football with other die hard football fans. We'll cover every angle of the game, from the start of kickoff till the final whistle, all from a fan's perspective.