UNC Draft Profile: Jim Mora on Javonte Williams
North Carolina has two playmaking running backs who should hear their names called in the NFL Draft some time this weekend.
Former NFL and college coach Jim Mora analyzed UNC’s draft prospects for Sports Illustrated/Fan Nation. The Carolina backs jumped off the film for him.
“I loved watching UNC play offense,” he said. “Not only did they have a great young quarterback, but the running backs. It was hard for me to tell which one was carrying ball until I could see the number.”
Mora gave his thoughts on Javonte Williams.
“He’s a guy who’s 5-foot-10, 220 (pounds), and he’s a bully,” he said. “He’s a bully back. He’s a battering ram. He hurts people. They don’t want to tackle him in the open field. Now he’s going to be going against bigger men in the NFL, but it’s that mindset he has—I’ll take you on. Not only is he a battering ram, but he’s got some shimmy shake to him. He can make people miss. I love watching him play. I love his contact balance. When he gets hit, he’s able to regain his balance quickly and continue to move forward.”
Mora projected where Williams would fit in the league.
“He’s probably best in a gap scheme,” he said, “which means powers, counters, more straight downhill stuff, than he is in a zone scheme, where it’s lateral and one cut. I don’t think he’s necessarily a one-cut guy. I question his receiving skills just a little bit. Once again, he’s a guy that’s a second-round value at the running back position. That’s a high number. Running backs aren’t valued as highly as they used to be, just because of wear and tear on the body. That’s another thing that helps Javonte—he only had 366 carries. That’s a lot, but it’s not as many as a lot of backs have. He’s really fresh. I really like him a lot.”
