Daily Short #21, July 3rd, 2017: After the Connor Williams Farewell Tour, Who's Next?
The secret is out regarding Texas junior LT Connor Williams. It seems like the scouting community and those in the national media who cover the NFL draft on a year-round basis are coming to the same conclusion regarding Williams that the Deep Dig has preached: that he's as good as gone after the 2017 season barring unforeseen disaster and/or regression. Add in the fact that Williams is on pace to graduate by Spring of 2018 anyway ... it doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to start connecting the dots.
Even if Williams doesn't live up to the first-round hype that is being cast on him at this early point in the evaluation process, it's still extremely likely that 2017 will be the last season that Texas fans see the young man in burnt orange.
For the record, I believe he'll be an early-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft. In fact, having watched, analyzed and graded every single snap he's taken at Texas -- not only in games but also the scrimmages -- I'll probably be the one who misses the guy the most. In what has been a black-hole-like rotation of recent OL woes, Williams has represented exactly what you love to see out of great offensive tackles. His quickness and feet coupled with balance and the ability to engage defenders in free space with leverage and technical, functional power is like a dream come true. He's checked every box so far over two seasons with the Horns.
And I know that the Deep Dig will be keep a close eye on Connor Williams during the 2017 season and rest assured, they'll keep the community here at Orangebloods abreast of their findings as always.
However, at some point, it's only natural to think "Who's next?" Where's this thing headed once Williams heads out?
If Williams will be starting what could be a resurgence of Texas pumping out NFL offensive linemen, there have to be others after him. That's what would make it a resurgence instead of a singular event.
So, here are my Top 4 candidates to watch for ascension to draftable status (no order):
Denzel Okafor (SO) - Okafor only played 11 snaps on offense during the 2016 season (five vs. UTEP and six vs. Texas Tech) so we don't have a great sample on him to judge production. In the 2017 spring game, Okafor was the definition of "up-and-down," grading out with more "terrific"-level plays than any other player on the second OL, but also allowing 2 QB pressures, a QB hit and a sack over 48 snaps leading to a once-per-twelve-snaps disruption-allowed number which is exactly as bad as an injured Tristan Nickelson during 2016 game-action. The fact that Okafor couldn't beat out Nickelson at RT during a spring where the staff made it clear behind the scenes that they wanted this to happen is also worrisome. Okafor needs to push Nickelson in a real way when fall camp kicks off to be in position to look like a player capable of ascending past the Kent Perkins-type players of the recent past. (Honorable mention here would go to sophomore Jean Delance who finds himself in a situation very close to Okafor's and who has almost an identical reasonably projected upside).
Jake McMillon (JR) - The most pleasant surprise of the 2016 season along the offensive line, McMillon only allowed disruption once every 41.1 snaps (over 493 total) and was a big reason (along with, of course, Connor Williams) for all the success D'Onta Foreman experienced running behind the left side of the line off of both power and zone concepts. The Deep Dig was grading McMillon out in a way that would indicate he's poised to eventually collect an NFL paycheck. It will be interesting to see if he stays at center or moves back to guard when a healthy Zach Shackelford returns, but, clearly, his ability to play any interior position will add to his appeal. As things stand, he's currently the second-best player on the Texas offensive line, but his measureables (a pretty squatty 6-2 or 6-3 and only around 300 pounds) may make him not quite as desirable from a purely physical standpoint as some of the others when projecting to the NFL level.
Patrick Vahe (JR) - Connor Williams emphatically took the next step in his sophomore season to follow up on his amazing rookie campaign while fellow Freshman All-American Vahe did not. In fact, you could argue that in some ways, Vahe regressed. Still, he was third on the team in snaps-per-disruption-allowed at 31.1 (about half of Williams' 59.6). Vahe's bugaboo has always been identifying and reacting to stunt action and falling into bad habits when things get hairy in pass protection. As a run-blocker, he can road-grade like a beast. For this reason, I think he's perfectly fine to peg as having potential future NFL player. The issues with interior pressure have been frustrating to say the least, but at some point you have to consider it could be coaching. Maybe the leap in "fixing" this one major flaw in his game didn't come in 2016 because of the changeover with the OL coaching staff. Texas fans surely hope that a similar lack of improvement in this area is not seen due to the most recent change in staff. (On a side note, how crazy is it that Connor Williams has done what he's done at Texas with a different OL coach every year he's been here?)
Patrick Hudson (RS FR) - I wouldn't have expected to say this before the start of spring football as I've always thought Hudson, in a live setting, has looked like a guy with two left feet and footwork isn't something that just comes to a player in his sleep one day magically. Also, he was injured through his whole redshirt season which would have given him the opportunity he really needed to develop and become the player his massive and astounding level of strength at the point-of-attack could allow. And lo and behold, we come into spring, and while still somewhat clunky, Hudson's feet had improved. When the balance comes along with that, you'll have on your hands a prospect who you could tab with Larry Warford-like upside. A player with okay-enough feet who will murder you in close spaces once he gets his hands on you. What scouts call a phone-booth guy; there's value there. The fact that he already seems to have cemented a clear and solid role as the No.2 RG on a backup unit that features lots of substitutions at other positions gives me the indication we could be seeing him in first-team action sooner than later, possibly even in 2017, especially if injuries crop up.
NOTE: The Daily Short will not go up on the 4th of July as I'll be dealing with family travel and loving America. It will return Wednesday.
The secret is out regarding Texas junior LT Connor Williams. It seems like the scouting community and those in the national media who cover the NFL draft on a year-round basis are coming to the same conclusion regarding Williams that the Deep Dig has preached: that he's as good as gone after the 2017 season barring unforeseen disaster and/or regression. Add in the fact that Williams is on pace to graduate by Spring of 2018 anyway ... it doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to start connecting the dots.
Even if Williams doesn't live up to the first-round hype that is being cast on him at this early point in the evaluation process, it's still extremely likely that 2017 will be the last season that Texas fans see the young man in burnt orange.
For the record, I believe he'll be an early-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft. In fact, having watched, analyzed and graded every single snap he's taken at Texas -- not only in games but also the scrimmages -- I'll probably be the one who misses the guy the most. In what has been a black-hole-like rotation of recent OL woes, Williams has represented exactly what you love to see out of great offensive tackles. His quickness and feet coupled with balance and the ability to engage defenders in free space with leverage and technical, functional power is like a dream come true. He's checked every box so far over two seasons with the Horns.
And I know that the Deep Dig will be keep a close eye on Connor Williams during the 2017 season and rest assured, they'll keep the community here at Orangebloods abreast of their findings as always.
However, at some point, it's only natural to think "Who's next?" Where's this thing headed once Williams heads out?
If Williams will be starting what could be a resurgence of Texas pumping out NFL offensive linemen, there have to be others after him. That's what would make it a resurgence instead of a singular event.
So, here are my Top 4 candidates to watch for ascension to draftable status (no order):
Denzel Okafor (SO) - Okafor only played 11 snaps on offense during the 2016 season (five vs. UTEP and six vs. Texas Tech) so we don't have a great sample on him to judge production. In the 2017 spring game, Okafor was the definition of "up-and-down," grading out with more "terrific"-level plays than any other player on the second OL, but also allowing 2 QB pressures, a QB hit and a sack over 48 snaps leading to a once-per-twelve-snaps disruption-allowed number which is exactly as bad as an injured Tristan Nickelson during 2016 game-action. The fact that Okafor couldn't beat out Nickelson at RT during a spring where the staff made it clear behind the scenes that they wanted this to happen is also worrisome. Okafor needs to push Nickelson in a real way when fall camp kicks off to be in position to look like a player capable of ascending past the Kent Perkins-type players of the recent past. (Honorable mention here would go to sophomore Jean Delance who finds himself in a situation very close to Okafor's and who has almost an identical reasonably projected upside).
Jake McMillon (JR) - The most pleasant surprise of the 2016 season along the offensive line, McMillon only allowed disruption once every 41.1 snaps (over 493 total) and was a big reason (along with, of course, Connor Williams) for all the success D'Onta Foreman experienced running behind the left side of the line off of both power and zone concepts. The Deep Dig was grading McMillon out in a way that would indicate he's poised to eventually collect an NFL paycheck. It will be interesting to see if he stays at center or moves back to guard when a healthy Zach Shackelford returns, but, clearly, his ability to play any interior position will add to his appeal. As things stand, he's currently the second-best player on the Texas offensive line, but his measureables (a pretty squatty 6-2 or 6-3 and only around 300 pounds) may make him not quite as desirable from a purely physical standpoint as some of the others when projecting to the NFL level.
Patrick Vahe (JR) - Connor Williams emphatically took the next step in his sophomore season to follow up on his amazing rookie campaign while fellow Freshman All-American Vahe did not. In fact, you could argue that in some ways, Vahe regressed. Still, he was third on the team in snaps-per-disruption-allowed at 31.1 (about half of Williams' 59.6). Vahe's bugaboo has always been identifying and reacting to stunt action and falling into bad habits when things get hairy in pass protection. As a run-blocker, he can road-grade like a beast. For this reason, I think he's perfectly fine to peg as having potential future NFL player. The issues with interior pressure have been frustrating to say the least, but at some point you have to consider it could be coaching. Maybe the leap in "fixing" this one major flaw in his game didn't come in 2016 because of the changeover with the OL coaching staff. Texas fans surely hope that a similar lack of improvement in this area is not seen due to the most recent change in staff. (On a side note, how crazy is it that Connor Williams has done what he's done at Texas with a different OL coach every year he's been here?)
Patrick Hudson (RS FR) - I wouldn't have expected to say this before the start of spring football as I've always thought Hudson, in a live setting, has looked like a guy with two left feet and footwork isn't something that just comes to a player in his sleep one day magically. Also, he was injured through his whole redshirt season which would have given him the opportunity he really needed to develop and become the player his massive and astounding level of strength at the point-of-attack could allow. And lo and behold, we come into spring, and while still somewhat clunky, Hudson's feet had improved. When the balance comes along with that, you'll have on your hands a prospect who you could tab with Larry Warford-like upside. A player with okay-enough feet who will murder you in close spaces once he gets his hands on you. What scouts call a phone-booth guy; there's value there. The fact that he already seems to have cemented a clear and solid role as the No.2 RG on a backup unit that features lots of substitutions at other positions gives me the indication we could be seeing him in first-team action sooner than later, possibly even in 2017, especially if injuries crop up.
NOTE: The Daily Short will not go up on the 4th of July as I'll be dealing with family travel and loving America. It will return Wednesday.
