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CNN/SI Home Draft Center Home Other NFL News Other College Football News Draft Guide Top 200 Film Room All-Time No. 1's 1997 Draft 1998 Draft Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Players Position Teams Schools Conference
 
NFL Draft '99
      
Grading System
Ricky Williams | RB | Texas | Big Twelve
Selected by New Orleans Saints in round 1, pick 5 (#5 overall)
Ht Wt 40 BP SS LS VJ BJ Grade
5'10" 244 4.55 - - - - - 7.88
Ricky Williams
Brian Bahr/Allsport
Calling Williams the premier back in this draft is a "no-brainer" as he is head and shoulders above the rest of the group. The all time leading rusher in NCAA history has everything going for him including size, speed, AA and great natural run skills. He is a multi-talented athlete that was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in baseball and was redrafted last month and although he will wind up in a football uniform, he may use baseball as a form of leverage in his contract negotiations. As a football player, he combines power, open field speed and moves that make him a complete player. He has excellent power and balance and can bounce off tacklers and also has the ability to make the first tackler miss. He has good niftiness for a big back and although he does not catch the ball a lot out of the backfield, he has soft hands and can certainly improve in that area. He does an excellent job of making yards after contact and can do the dirty work as an inside runner when necessary. He has good intangibles and the respect of everybody around him including coaches and players. He also has good blocking skills for a big back, probably as a result of playing FB his first two years at Texas. He is the only RB in this draft that can give an NFL offense a ball control attack and his durability and versatility will serve him well. If there is one negative, it has been his tendency to fumble on occasion, but it is usually a result of trying to gain extra yards. He is the "real deal" and probably the top football player in this draft, although he may not go number one.

1998 Rushing Statistics
Rushing Yards Attempts Average per Rush Touchdowns
1667 329 5.1 13

1998 Receiving Statistics
Receptions Receiving Yards Yards Per Reception Touchdowns
19 191 10.1 0


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