The second round of the NFL Draft couldn’t have started any worse for the Dallas Cowboys. As well as the first round fell to them at 19, at pick number 50, they had no such luck.
By number 40, the top three guards Austin Corbett, Will Hernandez, and James Daniels and wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who were all players of interest to the Dallas Cowboys. With the news of Jason Witten’s impeding retirement tight end becomes a huge glaring hole for the team.
With the 50th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys select University of Texas offensive lineman Connor Williams. Williams who played tackle in college, will likely plug right into the Dallas Cowboys offensive line as the left guard, filling a huge hole for them.
Here is what draft analyst Dane Brugler had to say from his draft guide. Brugler had Williams ranked as his 38th best player on his top 100 Big board.
“A three-year starter at Texas, Williams earned the starting left tackle job as a true freshman and had an All-American season as a sophomore, putting himself on the NFL radar. However, he appeared to take a step back in 2017 followed by a knee injury that sidelined him for most of his junior season. Williams learned under three different offensive coordinators in three seasons in Austin, which helped diversify his skill-set. He is technique-focused and moves with above average athleticism, flashing the competitive finish and instincts required for the next level. While the intent is there, he isn’t an overpowering player and contact balance can be an issue at times. Overall, Williams will be a guard/center on some draft boards due to his lack of length, but his sophomore tape showed a capable NFL starter at tackle and NFL teams will need to trust the 2016 tape to draft him in round one.“
Dane Brugler – NFLDraftscout.com
Jonah Tuls from NDTScouting.com had Connor Williams as his number 31 ranked player on his final top 300 big board.
“If the 2016 version of Connor Williams was in this class, I would take him top 10 without question. The problem is that his production and reliability fell off a cliff, both before and after his knee injury in 2017. He was not the same fluid pass protector or nasty finisher in the run game. It is almost as if he was content with his 2016 tape and tried to not get injured, which is exactly what happened, unfortunately. He is going to wow scouts with his athleticism and movement skills in Indianapolis at the Combine, but his mixed, conflicting tape will also leave them wondering if he is worth the price of admission, which seems to be the mid to late first round. I know some teams are considering putting him at guard, but he is still my top tackle because of the traits he flashed on tape. Comparison: Jordan Gross”
Jonah Tuls – NDTScouting.com
He’s coming off a knee injury that sidelined him for seven games during the 2017 season, but Williams was able to come back and finish the season for the Longhorns.
Inside the Star Staff Writer, Sean Martin got the reaction from the Stadium for you. Check his video below.
The Dallas Cowboys have now solidified their offensive line and can look to address other needs the rest of the way.
Let us know what you think of the pick.
