Could Texans Target Alabama's Jameson Williams At No. 13?
HOUSTON -- Speed wins. It cannot be taught and it cannot always be duplicated. A player either has it or doesn't.
Alabama receiver Jameson Williams possesses lighting in his legs. One quick move at the line of scrimmage and he's off to the race. Should a defensive back bite the wrong way, the play is likely already over.
Williams isn't stopping and he's going to for six.
Speed is an element the Houston Texans were missing at receiver last fall. Should he fall to the No. 13 pick, could Nick Caserio make him the next go-to target in the slot?
A video went viral Wednesday following Alabama's Pro Day of Williams working out at half speed. Just three months prior, the 6-foot speed demon suffered a torn ACL in the national championship against Georgia.
What was expected to be a nine-month recovery is dwindling down by the days. Williams isn't sure when he will be cleared for contact, but there is a chance he'll be cleared for Week 1 of the 2022 season.
"I'm in the pool and everything, a slight jog, really getting to do high-knees, butt kicks and things like that, just getting back in the motions," Williams told NFL Network. "Everything is going good so far, with me being this far out and this far down the process."
Williams only spent one season under Nick Saban, but it's one college football soon won't forget. Prior to 2021, he recorded 15 receptions for 266 yards in two seasons at Ohio State.
In just 13 games, those numbers nearly quadrupled. Williams ended up recording 79 receptions and 15 touchdowns to go along with 1,572 receiving yards — third-most in program history.
“The competition, everything that’s about Alabama football helped me become a better man, a better football player, a better receiver... It all came together and hit me," Williams told local reporters. "I want to be the best. I’ve been wanting to be the best but when I came here, it just upped it to another level.”
Receiver isn't the top need for Houston in 2022. It could be in 2023. The combination of Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins sufficed on the way to a 4-13 record in 2021, but that duo could be coming to an end by next January.
Cooks, 29, is entering the final year of a five-year extension signed back in 2018 with the Los Angeles Rams. He secured his sixth 1,000-yard season last year and could be looking to earn top dollar on the open market after seeing both Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill earn massive contracts.
Would Houston be willing to offer a lucrative deal? A source tells TexansDaily.com that the team is in talks with cooks on a long-term deal before the start of the season. However, Cooks could be willing to bet on himself this year with a chance to earn on the market.
Regardless of the situation, everything Houston does will be based off Caserio's big board. Should Williams be the highest-ranked player, he should be an option with the No. 13 selection or in a trade back.
Even if Cooks agrees to an extension, adding Williams makes sense. The Texans are looking for stability in the slot and could interchange players at the position. Adding a third receiver to help with the progression of quarterback Davis Mills also is beneficial entering his second season.
With Williams looking to be ahead of schedule, this could change his draft outlook come next month. Speed wins in the NFL.
The Texans need speed and Williams has exactly what was missing offensively last season.
