Huskers and the 2004 NFL Draft
<<2004 Draft
 |
Demorrio~Williams
4th round, 101 overall |
Stock is Rising
Possible Rounds 2 - 4
- Teams in need of an outside linebacker (Rocky Mountain News): Indianapolis, New York Jets, Minnesota, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, San Diego.
- 4/21 Rocky Mountain News: Sleeper (LB)- Demorrio Williams, OLB, Nebraska, 6-1, 232. A sure tackler whose 121 solo stops rank second in Cornhuskers history despite playing only two seasons in Lincoln.
- 4/21 TFY Draft Preview: Demorrio Williams/Nebraska/6-0.5 /232/4.55/Senior: A linebacker prospect that makes a lot of athletic plays on the field, Williams has displayed a steady path of progression the past two years. Mainly used up in the box at Nebraska, must learn to consistently make good decisions in space but offers the underlying skills to eventually start for an NFL team.
- 4/21 Fox Sports: Third Round - 9. Demorrio Williams; Nebraska, 6-0, 232, 4.50. An explosive 'backer who can run. Played last season at about 210 pounds. High-effort player. Hits the hole hard and has a nice burst to the ballcarrier. Shows instincts and tackles well. Has some pass-rush skills. Needs to improve in coverage.
- 4/18 - "Nebraska's Demorrio Williams (6-1, 232, 4.53) was a 1998 high school graduate who worked for a year before attending junior college and then transferring. He impressed at the Senior Bowl and the Indianapolis scouting combine workouts, showing the scouts that he was a fearless tackler and natural athlete. He also won brownie points with a good work ethic." (The Sun Chronicle)
- 04/15 - Opposite of most draft gurus, Len Pasquarelli of ESPN says Williams' stock is "declining". "Outside 'backer Demorrio Williams is small (6-feet-0¾, 232 pounds), not very strong, and runs around too many plays. His numbers are good enough but, when you watch him on tape, he isn't in every frame and might have benefited from being surrounded by so many good players. He doesn't take on blocks very well and it appears he could slide out of the first day."
- 04/13 - Vic Ketchman, Jaguars.com senior editor: "Demorrio Williams, 6-0, 232, is the best pure pass-rusher of the LB group. He was used as an in-the-box player at Nebraska, but though he wasn't used in pass-coverage much, he has the athletic ability to develop pass-coverage skills in the NFL. He's a mid-second-rounder who will offer distinct value at that spot. Williams runs a 4.55 and plays to that and faster." (Jaguars.com)
- Sporting News compares William's style of play to LB Ian Gold.
- 3/04 - ESPN Draft Expert Mel Kiper has elevated Demorrio into the 2nd round on his value board.
- InsideTheLeague.com compares William's style of play to S Mike Minter.
- Unofficial combine #s: 6005 | 232 lbs | 16 reps | 4.51 (40-yard dash)
- 2/26 Unofficial Combine #s: 4.50 40-yard dash (1st among LBs) | 37'' vertical leap (4th among LBs)
- Invited to the 2004 Indianapolis Combine.
- Williams' weight has been reported in varying reports at 209, 219 and 212. According to the official Senior Bowl weigh-in on January 19th, Williams weighed in at 229 lbs.
- 1/24 Senior Bowl Stats: North LB Demorrio Williams- 3 solo tackles, 5 assisted, 8 total (the game's leading tackler).
- 1/22 Great Blue North Draft Senior Bowl notes: Nebraska LB Demorrio Williams continued to fly around the field; he's very athletic and active in coverage and will throw his weight around; only problem is, at just a listed 212 pounds, he doesn't have a lot to throw around!
- 1/22 CNN/SI Senior Bowl notes: Nebraska's Demorrio Williams was the best of what Bengals coach Marvin Lewis referred to as "a very solid group of linebackers." Explosive and speedy, Williams flew around the field, laying licks on ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage or chasing them to the sidelines in pursuit. His small build (under 6-feet-1, 230 pounds) is of concern, and has many think he's best suited to play in a 3-4 defense. That is one reason why the Houston Texans interviewed him extensively last night.
- 1/19 ESPN Senior Bowl notes: None of the North linebackers stood out. Nebraska's Demorrio Williams, who weighed in at just 208 pounds, looks like a safety trying to play linebacker."
- Williams will participate in the 2004 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama (LB, 47).
- Husker fans are aware of what a great athlete Demorrio is but while he was a stud as a college LB he is what the NFL deems as a "tweener". Scouts will label him as too small to be an NFL linebacker and too big to be a safety. On the upside, many NFL teams will not want to pass on his athleticism and he could easily play at the NFL level on special teams.
Fan Poll (round/votes)
Round 1: 10%
Round 2: 27%
Round 3: 27%
Round 4: 17%
Round 5: 3%
Round 6: 7%
Round 7: 7%
Undrafted: 3%- Rankings
- TFY - ** (Oct 2003)
- TFY - 13 OLB (Oct 2003)
- TFY - *** (Feb 2004)
- TFY - 8 OLB (Feb 2004)
- TFY - 6 OLB (March 2004)
- 110% Football - 10 OLB
- NFLReport.com - 10 OLB
- NFLDraftScouting - 30 OLB
- RobScouting.com - 11 OLB
- NFLDraftBlitz - 11 OLB
- Football.com - 7 OLB
- NFLDraftCountdown - 6 OLB
- NFLFans.com - 19 OLB
- MrHyde - 55 ovr
- NFL Draft Showcase - 19 OLB
- NFL Draft Showcase - 149 ovr
- NFLDraftWorld.com - 8 OLB
- NFLFuture.com - 10 OLB
- PackerChatters.com - 16 OLB
- TheHuddleReport.com - 159 ovr (12/03)
- TheHuddleReport.com - 166 ovr (1/04)
- TheHuddleReport.com - 98 ovr (3/04)
- Gil Brandt (NFL.com) - 8 LB
- About.com - 6 OLB (Mar 04)
- InsideTheLeague.com - #1 SS
- DraftNotebook.com - 10 OLB
- On The Clock - 5 OLB
- NFLDraftWorld.com - 2 Strongside LB
- NFLDraftWorld.com - 90 overall
- NFLDraftScouting.com - 5 ILB
- DraftStudio - 5 OLB
- NFL Draft Scout - 9 OLB
- Sporting News - 6 OLB
- NFLDraftWorld.com - 2 SLB (4/13)
- Huddle Report - 80 ovr
- DraftInsiders.com - 5 LB
- SportsDialogue.com - 10 OLB
- USA Today - 8 OLB
- SI - 6 OLB
- GBNReport - 7 OLB
- Fox Sports - 9 OLB
Mock Drafts/Value Boards
TFY - early 3rd Round
NFLDraftBlitz.com - 3 Round
NFLReport.com - 3rd Round
NFLFans.com - 4/127 : Carolina Panthers
PackerChatters.com - 5/6th Round
NFL Draft Showcase - 5/157 : Indianapolis
About.com - 4/115 : Minnesota
About.com - 2/58 : Philadelphia (April 5)
DraftAce.com - 2/52 : Dallas
NFLDraftWorld.com - 3/79 : Tampa Bay
NFL Draft Scout - 3/4 Round
Sporting News - 3rd Round
GBNReport - 3/70 : Jacksonville
Huddle Report - round 3
NFL Draft Countdown - 3/76 : NY Jets
SportsDialogue.com - 2/60 : New Orleans
QI Sports - round 3 : Indianapolis
Fox Sports - round 3
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