2015 NFL Draft: Top 5 Tight Ends
By John Tolis
Dec 27, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers tight end Maxx Williams (88) makes a reception during the second quarter of the Texas Bowl against the Syracuse Orange at Reliant Stadium . Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
1. Maxx Williams, Minnesota
The final and top tight end on our list is Maxx Williams from Minnesota. A sophomore and one of the youngest tight ends in this year’s draft, Williams has everything a NFL looks for. The youngster has speed, strength, block, toughness, awareness and many more a tight end needs to make in the NFL. He could go as high in the late first round as he’s being compared to Dallas Cowboys’ Jason Witten; now that’s someone you want.
Williams has the near perfect frame for the position as he’s flexible moving around the field. He knows when to pump the brakes in his routes and how to explode down the field. Williams also displays that extra toughness to gain yards after the catch, which is always good in a tight end. His frame is a big part of his game because it also boosts his inline blocking skills. His strides can also be too much for defenders to handle which makes him a big threat.
For Minnesota, his sophomore year was absolutely spectacular has he led his squad with 36 grabs for 569 yards and eight touchdowns. Even as a freshman Williams showed potential when he received for 417 yards in just seven starts. There are rarely any flaws in Williams’ game instead for his blocking as he at times gets in awkward angles. Defenders know what to expect from Williams as he shows the same moves when running the route which would catch by any NFL athlete.
Williams shows some real promise and could possibly be a starter when the seasons starts. If drafted by the right team, Williams could easily mold his skills and follow in his bloodline’s footsteps of having a successful NFL career.