Top 10 running backs in the 2019 NFL Draft

#7 Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M

He is leaving A&M with as the all-time leader in rushing yards in a season and with three spots among the top ten rushing performances

Speaking of home-run hitters, Williams became the first true freshman to rush for a 1000 yards in Aggie history.

After a lackluster year for the entire team in ‘17, where he shared touches with a less talented and productive Keith Ford, he put up huge numbers under new head coach Jimbo Fisher, racking up over 2000 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns on an average of 6.8 yards a touch in 2018.

He is leaving A&M with as the all-time leader in rushing yards in a season and with three spots among the top ten rushing performances.

Williams explodes out of his tracks and when he finds a lane he slices right through the defense. He can take it to the house on any given play with that long-speed, displayed by a bonkers 57 runs of 10+ yards last year (which is one-and-a-half times as much as any other back in the SEC).

However, his strides don’t have to be that long – he just has really quick feet. With his step frequency, Williams rarely loses balance and slips off tacklers. He also spins off hits and really makes it tough to grab cloth against him and when someone does wrap around his legs, he steps out of the arms of the tackler time and time again.

The 5’8”, 205-pound back is no BS runner, who understand when there really isn’t anywhere to go and it’s time to just push the pile.

However, Williams isn’t just a hard-nosed homerun hitter, he can also change up the pace off his steps with a little bounce as well as the adequate footwork to change directions multiple times before the defense can really adjust.

He recognizes defensive penetration off the snap and slightly points his toes a different way when he takes the handoff to avoid initial contact. Overall I think his eyes and feet are linked very well together, as he shows patience and understanding when to cut down his stride length and stutter to allow his blocking to get set up.

Williams presses the hole and then cuts upfield as well as any back out there while barely losing any speed. At the second level, he makes defenders stop their feet by hesitating before turning on the afterburners and getting past them. Williams can manipulate peaking defensive linemen at the point of attack and open up a path for himself to shift towards.

His effort on the field isn’t limited to his work as a ball-carrier though. At a little above 200 pounds, Williams is one of the most impressive pass protectors I have ever watched as a junior in college.

He jacks up even D-ends when he is tagged with chipping them and he does an excellent job taking momentum away from approaching rushers and finding ways to stay in front of them. He also packs a punch as a lead blocker for his QB and fellow backs.

Williams caught a bunch of swing passes and different variations of screens over the middle and into the flats for the Aggies and he consistently made them work.

Williams exposes the ball too much for my taste by carrying it loosely while swinging his arms through. He already fumbled three times last year and that will be taken advantage of much more at the next level with all those NFL guys going after the ball constantly.

He feasted on several lackluster teams and had by far his worst showings against some of the top defenses in college football – 17 carries for 31 yards against Clemson, eight carries for 31 yards against Alabama and ten carries for 26 yards against Mississippi State.

I have rarely seen him run any routes developing down the field and we have yet to find out if he can track the ball or actually has a feel for coverages.

While he might not be the most creative runner of the ball, I think Williams is one of the more underrated backs in this class. His numbers as a receiver are inflated by short underneath targets, but I can envision him taking a bigger role in that aspect.

He is probably at his best in a power-/gap-scheme, where he can explode through openings and make defenses pay that way, plus he doesn’t have to come off the field with the work he puts in as a pass-protector.