Texas A&M football: Should Trayveon Williams enter the 2019 NFL Draft?
By Jeff Shull
After an incredible season, Texas A&M football star running back Trayveon Williams’ NFL stock might never be higher, but should he enter the draft?
When Jimbo Fisher came to College Station, pretty much everyone who paid attention to his tenure at Florida State understood it was a great move for Trayveon Williams. Texas A&M football was going to run the ball more often and with more blockers. Physicality was a staple of Fisher’s FSU teams.
Williams showed flashes of being one of the best backs in college football even in Kevin Sumlin’s air raid attack. He had amassed over 2,000 yards from scrimmage in two seasons. The pairing of his ability with Jimbo’s offense seemed almost too good to be true.
Fisher sent five running backs to the NFL in his eight years with Florida State. His offense is tailor made for his backs to put up monster numbers, and that’s exactly what Williams did in his first year with Fisher.
Williams was No. 4 in rushing yards, No. 4 in rushing yards per game, tied for No. 11 in rushing touchdowns, and No. 4 in yards from scrimmage among all running backs. He finished the regular season with 1,802 yards from scrimmage and 16 total touchdowns.
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Given all the success Williams had in year one, you would think it’s a no-brainer to enter the 2019 NFL Draft. His stock might never be higher.
However, a quick look around the web on Williams’ current draft stock and you’ll see not many NFL Draft experts are high on Williams. Most don’t have him in the top 10 of their running back rankings despite the production. They see Williams as a tweener, not fast enough and doesn’t run with enough power for his slower speed.
Williams will be able to make an informed decision when he gets draft grade information after the season ends. Judging by what the experts are saying, Williams might be better served to come back for his senior year. The running back class is deep in 2019, and NFL scouts might need to see one more year of Williams in a pro system.
What Williams lacks in speed and power he more than makes up with his vision and shiftiness. He just grinds out tough yards. Some NFL team will take a chance on him in the later rounds in the 2019 NFL Draft should he decide to come out, but he’ll have to return if he expects anything more, at least at this point.
Jeff Shull is the Site Expert for the Gig Em Gazette on FanSided. Follow him on Twitter, and be sure to follow the Gig Em Gazette on Facebook and Twitter.