The Tennessee Titans selected Miami safety James Williams with the 242nd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Williams started in all 12 games of his junior year at Miami. Here’s what to know about Williams.
Williams, an All-ACC Honorable Mention as a freshman, has the physical frame and the toughness to make it at the next level. But he has a tendency to get lost in coverage and play conservative in run support, which is something teams hope improves over time. While has has the tools for the NFL, he had a lackluster day at the Combine and scouts noticed. He limits yards after catch well and can lay out tone-setting hits, so the belief is that he can be molded into a solid player with his natural ability and physicality in the right organization.
Williams, who is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and went to American Heritage Plantation (Fla.) High School, is 6-foot-4 and 231 pounds.
Williams enters the draft with 162 total tackles, including 106 solo tackles, under his belt. He tallied four interceptions and 17 pass breakups as a Hurricane.
Williams posted 13 total tackles (six solo, seven assisted) in an overtime win over Virginia. He tallied nine total tackles three different times last season in strong outings against Florida State, Louisville, and Texas A&M. Williams had eight total tackles, a forced fumble, and 0.5 tackle for loss against North Carolina, and reeled in an interception with two pass breakups against Georgia Tech. He finished with seven total tackles and a forced fumble against Clemson.
Williams tied for last last among safeties in the NFL combine with teammate Kamren Kinchens in the 40-yard dash (4.65) and 10-yard split (1.59). His 30 inch vertical was the worst in the position group, and his 9-foot-8 broad jump ranked in the bottom-third of the group. He opted out of the 3-cone drill, the 20-yard shuttle and the bench press.