Rookie SWOT: Joe Williams

Bruce Matson Posted On June 2, 2017

Editor’s Note: DLF is proud to bring you an annual staple series – the Rookie SWOT. These articles cover the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved with rookies now that they’ve been drafted. Make sure you check out the DLF Rookie Draft Guide for all the information you need to dominate your rookie drafts.

Name: Joe Williams

Position: Running Back

Pro Team: San Francisco 49ers

College Team: Utah Utes

Draft Status: Round Four, Pick No. 121 Overall

Video Highlights

Combine Review

Height: 5’11’’

Weight: 210 Pounds

Hands: 9 3/8’’

Arm Length: 30 ¾’’

Bench Press: 17 Reps

40-Yard-Dash: 4.41

3-Cone-Drill: 7.19

20-Yard-Shuttle: 4.19

Vertical Jump: 35’’

Broad Jump: 125’’

Strengths

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Williams runs with determination, power and ruthless aggression, allowing him to easily run through arm tackles. He’s a player who will fight for every single yard he can possibly get and will usually make defenders pay at the point of contact. Smaller defensive backs generally have a hard time trying to tackle him due to his tenacious running style. For his size, he is also very shifty as he can shake off and juke defenders with his ability to move laterally with his footwork.

He rushed for 1,407 yards and ten touchdowns while accounting for a 39.12 percent market share of Utah’s offensive production in the nine games he played in. He also managed to rush for over 100 yards in six games with his best game against UCLA in week four when he rushed for 332 yards and four touchdowns.

Weaknesses

Being able to secure the football is one of his main weaknesses as he fumbled the ball seven times on 334 career touches. He also only caught 20 passes during his entire collegiate career at Utah with only nine receptions during his senior season as the team’s bell cow running back. Vision is another issue with him because he will often run into the backside of his offensive linemen. If the hole isn’t there or isn’t noticeable, he will become hesitant and stutter step behind the line of scrimmage before making his move. He’s a below average blocker and will often be out of position to make a block on a blitzing defender.

Opportunities

Williams was hand-picked by 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan in the fourth round of this year’s draft, which could make him one of Shanahan’s new favorite players or at the very least, a fun toy to deploy out of the backfield. Shanahan has been an offensive coordinator for nine seasons while coaching for five different teams. His teams were ranked in the top 50^th percentile in the league in rushing attempts in every season since 2012. Shanahan also has a history of using multiple running backs in his offensive game plan, considering last year in Atlanta he intermittently used Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman out of the backfield. The 49ers are looking to be a run heavy team in 2017, providing plenty opportunities for Williams to carve out a role within the offense.

The 49ers’ depth chart at running back isn’t very inspiring considering they have Tim Hightower and Kapri Bibbs nestled as the backup running backs behind Carlos Hyde. Williams will get every opportunity to succeed and has enough talent to become the team’s second string running back early in his career. Rumors are he could even push Hyde early on.

Threats

Carlos Hyde is a very talented player and will command a large market share of the carries out of the backfield if he starts the preseason hot during training camp. He rushed for a 4.6 yards per carry average last season, leading the team with 988 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. His injury history is what halted him from becoming the team’s perennial bell cow running back.

The team is currently in a transition period where they are trying to rebuild on the fly to compete as soon as possible. When teams do this, sometimes young prospects get lost in the shuffle due to the revolving door of talent on the roster. Also, the team is still figuring out their identity on offense with Brian Hoyer as the team’s starting quarterback, which means the offense could potentially experience lackluster results in the near future, limiting the production for the team’s run game.

Short-Term Expectations

Williams will be battling for touches out of the backfield during his rookie season. In order for him to take over a large portion of the carries he will need to outperform most of the running backs on the roster. Expect him to be involved in a committee during his rookie season since the team has multiple running backs who are good enough to keep the chains moving. Injuries to some of the other backs on the roster could provide an opportunity for him to showcase his skill set and a chance to gain more touches out of the backfield.

Long-Term Expectations

Carlos Hyde is signed through the 2017 season and if the team decides to go in another direction and not re-sign him, the backfield could be Williams’ for the taking. He has the talent to take over as the team’s lead back and if the stars align properly then he could develop into one of the best running backs in the league. There’s also a good chance he will be stuck in a time share sharing carries with multiple running backs in the 49ers’ backfield, making him a frustrating fantasy asset to own. The sky is the limit when it comes to his potential, but opportunity is going to be key when it comes to his fantasy success.

NFL Comparison

Williams is very comparable to DeMarco Murray, the premier running back for the Tennessee Titans. Both players are very similar when it comes to build, speed, overall athletic traits and running style. The one glaring difference between the two players is Murray is a world class pass catcher out of the backfield and Williams is not. Williams might not be able to duplicate Murray’s career, but might be able to deliver similar results if he ever gets the opportunity to run behind a road grading offensive line like Murray did when he played in Dallas.

Projected Range for Rookie Drafts

Per DLF’s Rookie ADP, Williams is going anywhere in the mid to late third round in rookie drafts with an ADP of 35.14. He is currently on average the 15^th running back selected off the board. His draft capital could increase in the near future if he is receives any more positive buzz during OTAs or training. He could be the late round gem in this year’s rookie draft class, considering his talent level combined with the opportunity to be one of the lead backs out of the 49ers’ backfield. He is worth the gamble in the third round of rookie drafts but if news continues to be positive on him, you’re going to start seeing him taken in the later part of round two.

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Bruce Matson

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

I'm a financial counselor for a hospital in South Central Ohio. I graduated from Muskingum University with a bachelor's in business while minoring in Economics and Accounting. I won my first fantasy football title with Jake Plummer as my quarterback.