Jason Williams SELECTED BY: Cowboys Round 3 (5)

SI Grade 2.96 GRADING SYSTEM

BIOGRAPHY: Three-year starter awarded varying degrees of all-Conference and All-America honors since his junior season. Senior totals included 67/14.5/4 after 107/16.5/8 as a junior. Posted 92 tackles as a sophomore. Led the country with six forced fumbles as a senior, and set an NCAA record of 14 career forced fumbles.

POSITIVES: Athletic linebacker with a large amount of upside potential. Breaks down well, shows speed off the edge on the blitz, or fires through gaps in run defense. Plays with excellent balance, body control, and is fluid moving laterally. Uses his hands to protect himself, displays a burst of speed, and effective in pursuit. Gets depth on pass drops, and covers a large amount of area on the field.

NEGATIVES: Indecisive in coverage and shows marginal ball skills. Lack of height is a problem, as he is smothered at the point by blocks.

ANALYSIS: Williams was used in a system that primarily asked him to play in the box or move up the field. He possesses the basic athleticism to be used as a weak-side linebacker in the NFL, yet he must show the ability to make plays in reverse. He is a solid developmental prospect who could flourish early in his career on special teams.

PROJECTION: Free Agent