Commanders Roster Ranking, No. 23: Why Rookie WR Antonio Williams is Already Forcing the Issue

When constructing this list, there was a bit of a struggle to separate those who have contributed to the team, albeit in a small way, from those who will contribute but, at this point, are projections. Clemson rookie WR Antonio Williams falls into that second category. While he's never put on the burgundy and gold and taken the field, the impact he could have on new Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough's scheme could be massive for an offense looking for a spark.

Williams spent four years at Clemson, in 43 games, he caught 208 passes for 2,336 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also added 25 carries for 187 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Williams actually had a better Junior year, gaining 300 more yards and 7 more touchdowns after a hamstring injury held him back last season.

Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney was vocal about him being a 3rd round steal by Washington, saying Williams is in the "same class and category" as any of the great WRs he has developed at Clemson, and would have easily been a first-round pick if he were just a few inches taller.

Antonio Williams. Aura. pic.twitter.com/N2zonJqb5G
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) June 2, 2026

The Floor General in Blough's Offense

Blough has an instant vacuum at WR2 after the team decided not to re-sign veteran receiver Deebo Samuel. While he looks to fill that spot, Williams seems like the natural fit at the slot receiver position, where Blough will plug him into the vision of his new offense, which emphasizes pre-snap motion and keeping quarterback Jayden Daniels more protected. Blough spoke last week about his "basketball roster" philosophy, which he's carried into building out the receiver corps, where each player brings something different to the table. In that situation, Williams would most certainly play the part of the floor general, the guy who can routinely create separation and get open across the middle.

Strengths and Film Evaluation

Antonio Williams is a great route-runner with elite short-area quickness and the ability to do well against man-to-man coverage. What I've noticed most about his film is his ability to stop and settle into spaces he creates in zones, then turn the speed back on in short spurts. He's not what I would call a deep-ball receiver, and he's only 5-11, which limits what he can do, but he's a chain-mover that will take pressure off of others.

The Roster Math and Injury Risk

If Williams wins the starting slot, which he should, the team will be better overall. The problem with Washington's depth is that they really do not have another player with his skill set who could just step in. An injury would force someone else outside of their box and into a position they do not fit. Using the basketball philosophy Blough is borrowing, it would be like trying to force a power forward into playing out on the wing.

I've been really pleased with the entire receiver room. It's just, you know, we talk about it like you're trying to build a basketball roster. Like you don't want all guys who can do the same things, and Antonio's been great stepping in, learning the system, and he's made some plays out here too, which has been exciting. And we feel really good with the pass catcher room and where we're at in that. Getting Treylon [Burks] back and Dyami [Brown] and some of, you know, the acquisitions that we made there. So, feel really good about it.
New OC David Blough

Why We Ranked Williams at No. 23

Williams' unique skill set and ability to get open in tight spaces, combined with his rookie upside and the team's need for a route-running weapon, led to him landing at number 23 despite not yet debuting in the league. Obviously, anytime a player who has never put on pads and taken the field gets rated this highly, it's a projection, but the early buzz out of Ashburn and OTAs is that he's a fit. Commanders GM Adam Peters certainly thought he was fit to be a foundational piece of the interior passing game when he selected him 71st overall. Now Williams just has to prove it.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow the Burgundy & Gold on Facebook and Philip Hughes on X for the latest news. You can also subscribe to our Facebook Messenger News Channel, which is the fastest and easiest way to actually see our articles while on any Meta product.

Add us as a preferred source on Google