NFL Draft: Jets trade failures gets Quinnen Williams to New York
Alabama extended their NFL Draft streak with at least one first round pick to 11 with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams‘ selection to the New York Jets at No. 3.
The first two picks of the 2019 NFL Draft didn’t come as too much of a surprise. Kyler Murray went No. 1 overall to the Cardinals. Nick Bosa was picked by the San Francisco 49ers soon after. Then, with the New York Jets on deck, trade rumors reached a fever pitch.
As the clock ticked downward, the Jets were unable to find a trade partner. Months of speculation fizzled and New York was forced to make the pick, selecting former Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
Houston’s Ed Oliver was rumored to be in the mix at No. 3, so was Kentucky’s Josh Allen. Ultimately, the Jets elected to go with a player widely viewed as a can’t miss prospect.
The one-year starter at Alabama is more than deserving of the early selection, climbing to the No. 1 spot on Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller’s Big Board in the days prior to the NFL Draft. He drew player comparisons to Aaron Donald and projects as one of the players with the highest floors in this draft class.
Williams capped off his final collegiate season by winning the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman. He was a consensus All-American with 19-5 tackles for a loss and eight sacks. He’s one of the few players on the interior line who can disrupt a game on his own.
Next. NFL Draft: Complete 7 Round projections. dark
The allure of more picks was real for New York, but so was the need for game-changing players. Pairing Quinnen Williams with Leonard Williams on the defensive interior instantly makes the Jets’ front one of the scariest in the AFC East.