49ers 2019 NFL Draft prospect profile: Cornerback Greedy Williams

The San Francisco 49ers likely won’t take a cornerback with the No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick. But a trade down, then grabbing LSU’s Greedy Williams, isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Taking LSU cornerback Greedy Williams would be a massive reach by the San Francisco 49ers with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

If the Niners trade out of that spot, however, it’s another story.

Whether or not general manager trades down is a tale to be told later. If he does, however, a Williams-to-San Francisco selection is something that could realistically happen.

Williams, a two-year standout from LSU, fits the mold of long and lanky boundary corners in the 49ers’ Cover 3 zone scheme. And with Pro Football Focus ranking the Niners secondary dead last in the NFL in 2018, finding the next up-and-coming shutdown corner should be high on general manager John Lynch’s priority list.

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 3/20/2019.

If this does wind up being the route taken by San Francisco, what kind of player would it be getting with Williams?

Let’s take a look.

Greedy Williams’ Strengths

At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Williams embodies what the 49ers would want at this position. And Williams uses that size to his advantage, regularly getting in the way of passes thrown in his direction. While his turnover total dropped from 2017 to 2018, his passes defended stayed roughly the same.

But Williams is more than just a cornerback capable of fighting for balls thrown his direction. He’s excellent in recognizing routes and rarely gets beat by them.

When you’re watching the film, Williams’ anticipation isn’t hard to miss:

Oh, and he also ran a 4.37 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine, showcasing he has more than enough straight-line speed to match up with the fastest of NFL-level pass catchers.

Williams didn’t participate in any other drills at the combine. But with his agile and instinctive abilities already well demonstrated on tape, there isn’t a lot left to know about how he’ll hold up to route changes on the field.

Greedy Williams’ Weaknesses

What Williams has in height, he lacks a bit in sheer size. It would be one thing if he was a sure thing in tackling, but that’s not always the case.

This could lead to some endurance issues at the next level, particularly with arm tackling and improper use of form. And some of the bigger-bodied wideouts at the pro level could create problems off the line of scrimmage, where Williams has enjoyed good success in press man. It won’t be as easy from this point onward.

And while Williams is more than adept at reading coverages and anticipating routes, he doesn’t always look good if he’s beat, sometimes allowing massive separation.

How He’ll Fit with the 49ers

San Francisco is banking on bounce-back years from cornerbacks Ahkello Witherspon and Tarvarius Moore in 2019. And the Niners are hoping veteran corner Richard Sherman picks up where he left off a year ago.

That said, Sherman’s long-term staying power isn’t something the 49ers want to bank on. He’ll need to be replaced at some point sooner than later.

Remember, many a defensive back struggles with transitioning from the college ranks to the pros. Witherspoon might be going through those growing pains now. Even if he does bounce back, however, the Niners would ideally like to see him slide into a role where he can take over for Sherman, eventually.

Grabbing Williams now would help solve those issues, providing both immediate depth and a quality starting candidate for 2020 and 2021, if needed.

An important thing to remember here is the NFL Draft is awfully deep with pass-rushers — perhaps San Francisco’s biggest need and target. It isn’t anywhere near as much at cornerback, where there are only a handful of options that fit the type of boundary player the Niners seek.

So, assuming the 49ers trade down in Round 1 and wind up with a mid- to late-round pick, Williams could be high on Lynch’s radar.

The 2019 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 25 at 8 p.m. ET from Nashville, Tennessee.