Countdown to Training Camp: Daryl Williams is 9th Most Valuable Bill
Daryl Williams last season erased all doubts about his ability to be an elite NFL starter.
All that remains for the Buffalo Bills' right tackle is to keep building on what he established with a juggernaut offense that finished second in the league in scoring.
Williams came to Buffalo from Carolina last season and played so well in camp that the Bills bumped Cody Ford to right guard.
Williams then not only established himself as their starter for years to come but raised his stock in the eyes of at least a few analysts.
Pro Football Focus ranks Williams as the 28th best tackle in the league entering the 2021 season. That's not bad, considering there are 64 projected starters.
Williams earned an 80.0 pass-blocking grade to rank fourth among the league's right tackles in 2020.
For those reasons, he ranks ninth in our day-by-day unveiling of the 30 projected Most Valuable Bills as we count the days to the start of training camp.
More on Williams from PFF: His extension was ranked as their best move in free agency this offseason.
Buffalo’s free agency was primarily about retaining key players who were scheduled to test the market," PFF reported. "They were able to lock down linebacker Matt Milano just before the legal tampering period, as well as a pair of offensive linemen, Jon Feliciano and Daryl Williams.
Williams was the critical move of the two, and he should guarantee a level of quality blocking in front of Josh Allen. Though Williams' NFL career has featured only two seasons with an overall PFF grade better than 75.0, they have been his two full-time seasons as a starting right tackle. Last year, Williams had the best overall PFF grade of his career and topped 80.0 in pass-blocking grade for the first time in his career.
Williams also is a major part of an offensive line that had the fifth-best win rate in pass-block plays in 2020, according to ESPN Analytics.
Here's what author Seth Walder wrote about the Bills, who ranked below Cleveland, Green Bay, Arizona and Seattle:
Buffalo Bills
Projected PBWR: 61%
Projected offensive line: Dion Dawkins (14th), Cody Ford (DNQ), Mitch Morse (second), Jon Feliciano (DNQ), Daryl Williams (19th).
Josh Allen was under pressure frequently in 2020, but much of that was due to the 3.04 seconds he averaged before getting rid of the ball. That he had that time to begin with is a credit to the offensive line, which ranked fourth in PBWR. We expect the pass-blocking success to continue.
Williams also signed a below-market deal to remain. Like so many other teammates, including Matt Milano, he almost certainly could have made more elsewhere.
But he's chasing a championship like everyone else on this team.
Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.
