Mike Williams
Right now, no one knows what is going to happen with Alshon Jeffery. He could be re-signed to a long-term deal, tagged or let go. And if he is let go, despite the fact people say Cameron Meredith has “arrived”, the Bears will not have a true number one wide receiver. They will need to either find one in free agency or get one in the draft.
The best wide receiver in 2017 NFL Draft is Clemson’s Mike Williams. He’s a junior and decided to come out a year early which may be a wise move for both himself and the league. Would the Bears have some interest in him? They absolutely should.
What Williams brings to the table is great athleticism with the skills to be a number one NFL wide receiver. He can get up high and pluck the ball out of the air if the pass is a little high. He can position his body well to make the catch even when he’s heavily covered. Williams can out muscle defenders for the ball and will win those battles when the ball is “up for grabs”.
Physically, Williams has long arms and great body control. With that body control, he can adjust, while in the air, to make the catch. He also has great balance. When he has the ball in his hands, he can break through tackles and overpower defenders. Williams has a lot of experience against top quality competition which will give him an edge over some of the other receivers in the draft. No other receiver (in the draft) can exceed the skill that Williams has.
But, every single player, no matter how good they are, does have drawbacks. One thing that will frustrate Bears fans is that Williams will drop passes. He is not a speedster or a strong deep threat and does get out of his breaks quickly. Some feel that he may struggle against NFL cornerbacks especially elite ones. Finally, he lost an entire season (2015) to an injury (fractured neck) and being a junior, that means he only has two years of real experience.
Williams will follow some other fine Clemson wide receivers in the league including Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins. But Williams is his own man. You can’t say he’s going to be like those two. But it appears as if he could be just as good or better than they are. The Bears could use the help but would Williams be worthy of the third selection in the draft? Probably not. But, Chicago could trade down a few spots and get him while picking up some additional picks along the way.
Simply put, if Jeffery leaves, the Bears need to do need to do something at wide receiver. Williams can help them replace Jeffery and improve their receiving corps.