DJ Williams, Green Bay Packers, 141st Pick, 5th Round, 2011 NFL Draft

Williams, DJ Arkansas 6017 245 4.67

Three-year starter. Not your old school NFL prototype tight end, but another of the new wave offensive utility specialists. Williams’ specialty is catching the ball. As a sophomore he led the team with 61 catches for 723 yards and 3 TDs. Nearly half of his catches were for first downs. As a junior he snatched 32 passes for 411 yards. Caught 54 passes as the Mackey Award winner, averaging 11.6 yards per catch and 4 TDs in 2010. Can pluck the ball with his nimble hands. Can make the tough catch and hold the ball on contact. Athletic after catch. Good open field instincts. Good stop and go quickness. Can turn a short reception into a long gain. Has the ability to quick set with body quickness, change of direction, and redirect in pass pro. Can improve his run blocking technique, but lacks size and strength to be a dominant edge blocker. He does give effort to tie up defender. Good combo blocks to the second level. As a receiver he has good body control to come out of his cuts smoothly with a burst to separate. Fluid, not stiff or mechanical in movements. Can get vertical and horizontal separation depending on his match-ups. Has the speed to get deep. Gets open versus man to man and zone coverage. Plays tackle on the punt coverage team. For complete report see Ourlads Guide to the NFL Draft.

Ourlads Annual Laddie Awards 2011

OURLADS’ Annual LADDIE AWARDS

***Note. This Poll was taken before the 2011 Draft.



The LADDIES have become a regular part of our Draft coverage. We
enjoy them. It’s fun. Based on our discussion with subscribers, most
enjoy them as well. These awards are the subjective result of a poll among
‘our lads’ and are for your enjoyment. And the 2011 Awards go to:

Quarterbacks

Cream of the Crop: Blaine Gabbert (Missouri)

Arm Strength: Colin Kaepernick (Nevada)
Accuracy: Scott Tolzien (Wisconsin), Pat Devlin (Delaware)
Touch: Christian Ponder (Florida State)
Mobility: Cam Newton (Auburn), Jake Locker (Washington)
Tyrod Taylor (Virginia Tech)
Underappreciated: Ricky Stanzi (Iowa)
Combine King: Tyrod Taylor (Virginia Tech)
Best All-Star Bowl Performance: Christian Ponder (Florida State)
Free Agent Find: Mike Hartline (Kentucky)

Running Backs

Cream of the Crop:
Mark Ingram (Alabama)
Fastest: Da’Rel Scott (Maryland)
Hands: DeMarco Murray (Oklahoma)
Blocker: Patrick DiMarco (South Carolina)
Moves: Jacquizz Rodgers (Oregon State)
Power: Allen Bradford (Southern Cal)
Toughest: Mark Ingram (Alabama)
Underappreciated: Allen Bradford (Southern Cal)
Return Man: Derrick Locke (Kentucky)
Combine King: Roy Helu (Nebraska)
Best All-Star Performance: Delone Carter (Syracuse)
Free Agent Find: Chad Spann (Northern Illinois)
Johnny White (North Carolina)

Wide Receivers

Cream of the Crop: AJ Green (Georgia)
Hands: AJ Green (Georgia)
Fastest: Edmund Gates (Abilene Christian)
Routes: Greg Salas (Hawaii)
Blocker: Julio Jones (Alabama)
Run After Catch: Julio Jones (Alabama)
Return Man: Jeremy Kerley (TCU)
Jerrel Jernigan (Troy)
Leaper: Jon Baldwin (Pittsburgh)
Underappreciated: Greg Little (North Carolina)
Combine King: Julio Jones (Alabama)
Best All-Star Bowl Performance: Leonard Hankerson (Miami)
Free Agent Find: Kris Durham (Georgia)

Tight Ends

Cream of the Crop:
Kyle Rudolph (Notre Dame)
Hands: DJ Williams (Arkansas)
Blocker: Lee Smith (Marshall)
Fastest: Rob Housler (Florida Atlantic)
Strongest: Luke Stocker (Tennessee)
Charlie Gantt (Michigan State)
Underappreciated: Colin Cochart (South Dakota State)
Combine King: Jordan Cameron (Southern Cal)
Best All-Star Bowl Performance: Julius Thomas (Portland State)
Free Agent Find: Colin Cochart (South Dakota State)

Offensive Line

Cream of the Crop: Mike Pouncey (Florida)
Feet: Tyron Smith (Southern Cal)
Pass Blocker: Nate Solder (Colorado), Tyron Smith (Southern Cal)
Run Blocker: Michael Pouncey (Florida)
Strongest: Ryan Bartholomew (Syracuse), Marcus Cannon (TCU)
Toughest: Danny Watkins (Baylor)
Underappreciated: Mike Person (Montana State)
Tim Barnes (Missouri)
Combine King: Nate Solder (Colorado)
Best All-Star Bowl Performance: Rodney Hudson (Florida State)
Free Agent Find: Dan Kilgore (Appalachian State)

Defensive Line

Cream of the Crop: Marcel Dareus (Alabama)
Run Stopper: Marcel Dareus (Alabama)
Pass Rusher: Ryan Kerrigan (Purdue)
Fastest: Robert Quinn (North Carolina)
Strongest: Stephen Paea (Oregon State)
Toughest: JJ Watt (Wisconsin), Adrian Clayborn (Iowa)
Marcel Dareus (Alabama), Nick Fairley (Auburn)
Underappreciated: Jeremy Beal (Oklahoma)
Combine King: JJ Watt (Wisconsin)
Best All-Star Bowl Performance: Martin Parker (Richmond)
Justin Trattou (Florida)
Ryan Kerrigan (Purdue)
Free Agent Find: John Graves (Virginia Tech)

Linebackers
Cream of the Crop: Von Miller (Texas A&M)
Run Defender: Greg Jones (Michigan State)
Pass Coverage: Mason Foster (Washington)
Pass Rusher: Von Miller (Texas A&M)
Fastest: Martez Wilson (Illinois)
Strongest: Justin Houston (Georgia)
Toughest: Mark Herzlich (Boston College)
Underappreciated: Casey Matthews (Oregon)
Bruce Miller (Central Florida)
Combine King: Von Miller (Texas A&M)
Best All-Star Bowl Performance: Von Miller (Texas A&M)
Free Agent Find: Eric Gordon (Michigan State)

Defensive Backs

Cream of the Crop: Patrick Peterson (LSU)
Coverage: Patrick Peterson (LSU)
Toughest: Quinton Carter (Oklahoma), Jermale Hines (Ohio State)
Fastest: DeMarcus Van Dyke (Miami), Patrick Peterson (LSU)
Playmaker: Patrick Peterson (LSU)
Return Man: Patrick Peterson (LSU)
Leaper: Curtis Brown (Texas)
Underappreciated: Ahmad Black (Florida)
Combine King: Patrick Peterson (LSU)
Best All-Star Bowl Performance: Kendric Burney (North Carolina)
Free Agent Find: Ryan Jones (NW Missouri State)
Josh Gatlin (North Dakota State)

Place Kickers
Cream of the Crop: Alex Henery (Nebraska)
Free Agent Find: Dan Bailey (Oklahoma State)

PuntersCream of the Crop: Aaron Bates (Michigan State)
Free Agent Find: Reid Forrest (Washington State)

Special Teams
Best Long Snapper: Zach Enyeart (Washington State)

Luke Stocker & D.J.Williams plus other TE notes

Ourlads take on the tightends at the Senior Bowl

TE: Lance Kendricks (Wisconsin) – 6031, 240. A screen off good effort
type blocker with receiving skills. A move tight end who can adjust and block
on the run. A former wide receiver with good route savvy. Sticky, physical,
and scrappy blocking during the week. Caught 2 passes for 39 yards in the
game. Mike McNeill (Nebraska) – 6036, 232. Long arms 33 ¼”. Misplayed
a ball off his hands during the game that was intercepted. An H-back candidate
who can block on the move. Moved to wide receiver his senior year after
playing tight end the three previous years. Caught the ball well in Senior
Bowl practices. Lee Smith (Marshall) – 6057, 269. Long arms 34”. A run
blocking tight end with some short area receiving skills. Caught the ball well
in practice. Has the quickness to set the edge versus a 4-3 defensive end.
Preston Dial (Alabama) – 6021, 238. Big hands 10 1/8”. An H-back type move
tight end who struggles to separate from coverage. Cradle type catcher. Position
blocker. Luke Stocker (Tennessee) – 6047, 255. An inline blocker with good
hands. Struggles to separate down the field, but will compete and make the catch
in a crowd. Good concentration. Works to stick and stay on his blocks. Can adjust
and block on the move. DJ Williams (Arkansas) – 6017, 236. Hands 10 3/8”.
An H-back type tight end with excellent eye-hand coordination. A natural hand
catcher who is effective in the slot or on the move. Good effort on double team
and screen off blocks. An Aaron Hernandez type contributor on the next level.

2011 NFL Draft, Tight End, DJ Williams, Arkansas

Three-year starter. Not your old school NFL prototype tight end, but another of the new wave offensive utility specialists. Williams’ specialty is catching the ball. As a sophomore he was a Mackey Award finalist as he led the team with 61 catches for 723 yards and 3 touchdowns. Nearly half of his catches were for first downs. As a junior he snatched 32 passes for 411 yards. Can pluck the ball with his nimble hands. Can make the tough catch and hold the ball on contact. Athletic after catch. Good open field instincts. Good stop and go quickness. Can turn a short reception into a long gain. Has the ability to quick set with body quickness, change of direction, and redirect in pass pro. Can improve his run blocking technique, but lacks size and strength to be a dominant edge blocker. He does give effort to tie up defender. Good combo blocks to the second level. As a receiver he has good body control to come out of his cuts smoothly with a burst to separate. Fluid, not stiff or mechanical in movements. Can get vertical and horizontal separation depending on his match-ups. Has the speed to get deep. Gets open versus man to man and zone coverage. Plays tackle on the punt coverage team.