EDGE Sam Williams, Ole Miss
If the NY Giants for some reason do not decide to take an edge rusher within the first two rounds, one of the better options for an edge rusher in the mid-rounds would be Sam Williams out of Ole Miss.
Coming in at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, Williams has been terrorizing opposing lineman at Ole Miss all season, tallying 13 sacks, eight QB hits, 40 QB hurries, and 45 total tackles in 12 games this year.
While Williams’ numbers are very elite, he has some glaring problems that are going to cause him to fall so far.
For example, while he is a pretty fast player, he somewhat lacks in explosiveness off the edge. This can make it difficult for him to be consistent on the defensive line. This lack of burst is due to his somewhat average athleticism because once he gets into the open field he is pretty fast for a 6’4 265-pound guy.
One thing I like about Sam Williams is his strength, there were several moments in some of the film I watched in which Williams would just toss opposing offensive linemen around. This strength and violence on the line make it easy for Williams to get off his blocks when he needs to.
An example of this is on this play here; Williams (#7) was engaged with Louisville’s TE, and the moment he saw the running back heading his way, he ripped his man off of him and made the tackle.
If the NY Giants have not selected an edge rusher by round 3 and Sam Williams is still available, they should take a swing at him. He has all the tools to make it in this league.