Triple Take: Maxx Williams

Matt Caraccio

williams

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Opinions are good. Multiple opinions are better. In this installment of “Triple Take,” our partner in crime Nick Whalen will be sitting this one out to finish other projects. We will however have not one, but TWO of our Dynasty Scouts writers evaluate our most recent up and coming prospect. Multiple opinions helps DLF avoid the “group think” mentality while providing you the insight you need to dominate your leagues.

Maxx Williams

Tight End, University of Minnesota
6’4” 254 pounds
3 star recruit
2013: 25 receptions for 417 yards, 16.7 yards per reception, five touchdowns, one carry for seven yards
2014: 36 receptions for 569 yards, 15.8 yards per reception, eight touchdowns

Athleticism and Receiving Ability

Caraccio: Quite possibly one of the most under utilized weapons in the Gopher offense, Maxx Williams is a thick, even cut athlete with tremendous athletic potential. Williams is smooth getting in and out of his stances (three point, two point or receiver stance) at the snap of the football, showing good flexibility and burst. As a receiver, Williams shows good speed, probably in the mid 4.6’s, which is enough to run away from linebackers and challenge the cushion of defensive backs. Although not a technician as a route runner, Williams does show good acceleration throughout the vertical stem of his route and seems to understand the importance of using his acceleration to gain separation.

Again, Williams is not a player that runs the route tree, but he has the potential to add to his repertoire at the next level. At the catch point Williams shines. A great hands catcher, he shows excellent technique catching the football. Capable of plucking the football out of the air, Williams is at ease extending his arms away from his body and catching the football in the first available window. In addition, Williams is incredibly fluid at adjusting to poorly thrown passes. In tight coverage, he does a good job using his body to shield defenders and after the catch, Williams flashes power and agility as a runner. In large part, Williams relies on his speed to win in the open field. Far too often though, he was brought to the ground by the first tackler, and at the next level he will need to improve is arsenal of moves if he wants to be considered as one of the players in the upper echelon at his position.

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Leath: The legend of Williams has grown quickly in Dinkytown, from small town Minnesota high school football star to potential first round draft pick. It is rumored his sleeve “tattoo” is actually just residue from the jerseys of the many defenders he has bullied on his way to the endzone. Athletically, he’s a standout at his position, offering smooth movement skills along with incredible body control. He may be one of the best run after catch tight ends in the league from day one, as he displays impressive open field speed and burst along with very subtle open field moves that chew up some of those unseen yards. That athleticism is seen in his routes, where he smoothly accelerates and leaves defenders watching the 88 on his back more than the ‘M’ on his front. He is a reliable catcher with the ability to make circus plays; his hands are strong and he uses his frame well to shield defenders and make them go through him if they want a path to the football. He can be used all over the formation, with the ability to terrorize defenses from the slot. Perhaps most impressive is that Williams has dominated the Gophers’ receiving game, becoming its only reliable weapon, posting credible numbers and gaining national notoriety despite a meager passing attack. He’s done so with only two years of game experience at a position in which young players are typically slow to develop. That speaks to his upside, along with his ability to dominate a game at a high level.

Blocking

Caraccio: Full disclosure; I began writing my analysis of Williams here with “Blocking”. Why? Let me explain. To paraphrase the great Greg Cosell, the “moveable chess piece” is what every NFL team covets. Whether it be on the defensive or offensive side of the football, the more versatile a player the better. The tight end is no exception; in fact it might just be the perfect example of how positions in football have evolved over time. Today’s tight ends are usually classified into one three categories:

  1. In-line Tight End (More of a Blocker)
  2. Move Tight End/H-Back/Joker (More of a Receiving Threat)
  3. Combo Tight End (Do it all)

The true combo tight end is the “Holy Grail” of tight ends, the “moveable chess piece” of the game of football. Jason Witten, Rob Gronkowski, and Tony Gonzalez are several names that fit the “combo” tight end mold. While Williams is far from their level, he fits their mold. Why? Simple…blocking. Williams is not only a very good receiver, but he is a stout blocker, especially in the running game. At first glance you will immediately notice he looks very good in his stance with a flat back, and good flexion in both his knees and ankles. Capable of playing out of both a two point and three point stance, Williams has adequate initial burst at the snap of the ball. Most of the time Williams attacks defenders with good leverage, staying low, however, he can get caught getting too upright from time-to-time. Although he does not always make first contact with the defender, Williams is extremely heavy handed once engaged-doing a good job hand fighting to gain/maintain inside hand position. On most encounters Williams does a good job of rolling his hips and getting a good push on the defender. In addition, he consistently does a good job of maintaining active feet throughout his blocks- a whistle-to-whistle player.

One aspect of Williams’ game that he excels in is his ability to block in space. Whether working as a puller, or combo blocking to the second level, Williams takes good angles in the open field as he engages defenders. Williams will, at times, fall off his blocks but those moments are not terribly frequent. What I like most is that Williams is always looking for work and he seems to truly enjoy blocking defenders. Although not used in pass protection frequently, Williams flashes the requisite athleticism and technique to develop into a functional pass protector at the next level. However until this facet of his game is more developed Williams’ arrival as a true combo tight end may be slightly delayed.

Leath: Minnesota is a run-heavy offense, the type of run-heavy offense that is the result of cringing every time they opt to pass. Despite that, Williams is still a work in progress as a blocker. At 6’4, 250 pounds, he has good size, yet there’s still strength to be added to a frame that is in no way completely filled out. Most importantly, he is willing to get his hands dirty in the blocking game, which in time should cover up most deficiencies. Once he adds functional strength and gains more exposure to a variety of blocking schemes, he should at the very least become a league average blocking tight end, which is enough to make him the type of every-down player that teams and fantasy owners alike covet.

Dynasty Projection

Caraccio: Williams’ potential as a true combo tight end may have more than a few NFL teams thinking “check mate” this year. The biggest concerns I have with the Witten and Gronkowski comparisons is that they are almost two inches taller than Williams (both stand 6’6”) and more explosive. Gonzalez was more of a fluid route runner than Williams and again, one inch taller. Either way, these players are the platinum standard at their position and it would be unfair to compare Williams to them now. Does Williams have that potential? Possibly. Right now I would compare Williams to Zach Ertz as a receiver but his blocking at this stage of his development is superior in every way. Williams may go early in the NFL draft and I would recommend you take him early in your dynasty draft, especially in tight end premium leagues.

Leath: If you do not own a top five tight end these days, you often find yourself punting the position each week. While there’s plenty of young talent across the league, and a few stable veterans kicking out weekly production, it is still a group ruled by the elite. It is a bit ambitious to anoint Williams as the next dominant pass catcher at the position, but there’s plenty of reasons to be optimistic he can reach that second tier early in his career. A gifted receiver with a high compete level, Williams is perhaps most importantly scheme versatile and can be used in many facets of the offense. The evolution of passing games has made finding mismatches through the air so important, and Williams can provide that in spades. I’m comfortable slotting him as a top ten dynasty tight end as of today, and see late 1st/early 2nd round value in rookie drafts given how dire the times are at tight end.  

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