Milton Williams is Ready But Might Have to Wait for Playing Time
PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles are so deep and talented on the defensive line, that it's hard to pencil in emerging second-year player Milton Williams into consistent playing time unless you factor in the versatility that Jonathan Gannon often craves.
Other than Brandon Graham, no Eagles' defensive lineman is capable of playing more different techniques than Williams, an under tackle by trade with the quickness of an edge rusher.
"Last year I played everything from 9-technique [wide nine] to shade [1-tech]," Williams told Eagles Today after a steamy practice at the NovaCare Complex.
The addition of rookie nose tackle Jordan Davis and veteran edge rusher Haason Reddick will likely mean that Gannon, and position coaches Tracy Rocker and Jeremiah Washburn, will not have to do the same mixing and matching this time around.
Williams, though, will be ready if his number is called.
"It is difficult," Williams said of moving around, but you use this time out here [at practice] to get used to that and then it comes easier."
When the Eagles drafted Williams in the third round of the 2021 draft, many compared his body type to Graham, an all-time franchise great who has taken Williams under his wing.
"I worked with BG a lot [in the offseason]," Williams said. "... Just being with him, picking his brain throughout the whole process."
The goal was to work on balance, according to the Louisiana Tech product.
"Just focused on being more balanced and under control," Williams said. "... you need balance to play in the trenches. You need balance to do everything so the more balanced you are, it's easier to counter moves, and go to my first move, like catching a lineman off balance, it's easier to work off that."
The Eagles' coaches instructed the explosive Williams to try to fine-tune his pass-rushing technique during his downtime so he and Graham incorporated that in as well.
"They wanted me to really focus on my pass rush but I just added pass rush into it and then working with BG and going 'yeah, we ain't gonna do the wrong stuff working together,'" said Williams.
With Davis, Fletcher Cox, and Javon Hargrave on the interior and Reddick, Graham, Josh Sweat, and Derek Barnett on the edge, there's no obvious path to playing time for Williams but don't bet against the Texas native finding his way into the lineup consistently.
"We got probably three, four starting offensive lines on our roster right now," Williams said. "So it's just wherever they want me to play just go out there and do my job. be consistent.
"Do whatever they need me to do. Play outside, inside don't matter."
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Sports. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talker Jody McDonald, every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com and JAKIBSports.com. You can reach John at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
