How big will Leonard Williams get?
Big Cat. This is the name that strikes fear into NFL teams that face the New York Jets. This defensive end sinks his claws into the hearts of offensive linemen.
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Brian Baldinger: Big Year Potential for Big Cat NFL Network Analyst Reviews Jets’ Final Week of OTAs |
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Leonard Williams is a force to be reckoned with in the league. Standing tall at 6 feet 5 inches and weighing 302 pounds, you would think that he would have no agility and be stiff like Quinton Coples but that statement is so far from the truth. As a rookie in the 2015 season, his hand and arm movements were his best traits, which helped him swim past tackles and guards. Using his large frame, he broke through the trenches and pressured the quarterback. By Week 4, it was easy to see why he was considered the best prospect in the 2015 NFL Draft and why the Jets were ecstatic that other teams had passed on him and they were able to select him with the 6th overall pick.
Going into his second season with Gang Green, Big Cat will make a huge leap in development. Why do people call him that nickname? ”I guess it’s the hair,” Williams said. “It’s like a lion and stuff like that. My name is Leo like Leo the lion. I am not exactly sure where it came from. It may have been the [USC] announcers. It’s pretty cool. I like it so far.” http://www.scout.com/nfl/story/1519792-usc-s-big-cat
Last season, he was getting to the QBs on just his talent alone, having unpolished pass rushing skills and not comprehending the terminology in the defensive playbook. A clear example was Jets vs. Washington Redskins in Week 6 in October. Leonard was hurrying Kirk Cousins so many times that by the 3rd quarter, instead of double teaming Muhammad Wilkerson or Sheldon Richardson, he was the one who was getting the extra blocker put on him. Imagine that! A mere rookie was affecting the gameplan so much that head coach Jay Gruden was sliding the protection over to him. He was having that kind of impact on opposing offenses.
As the season progressed, Big Cat not only increased his QB hurries and tackles but also improved his run defense, stopping the running back at or behind the line of scrimmage. If he was already dominating the trenches and commanding double teams with raw power alone at season’s end, who knows how much better he will be once he improves his techniques and understands the nuances of the game?
There is a reason why at the end of 2015, this defensive line was already being called “The Big Three”. People could see that Leonard was entering the ranks of Wilkerson and Richardson with the way that he was collapsing the pocket at the young age of 21 years old. It is not unthinkable to predict that he can have a double digit sack season and be in consideration for the Pro Bowl if he continues to ascend his game. This Big Cat is smacking his lips and is already feasting on NFL offenses.
