After a breakout junior season under Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M Aggies running back Trayveon Williams was named First-Team All-SEC. Heading into the Gator Bowl against the NC State Wolfpack, Williams leads the nation's top conference in rushing yards (1,524), all-purpose yards (1,802), and found the end zone 16 times. Williams also had eight games with 100-or-more yards, including two games where he eclipsed the 200-yard mark.
With his draft stock is at an all-time high, Williams will likely consider heading leaving college football and entering the 2019 NFL Draft after the Aggies' bowl game. Williams is considered a small running back at 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds, and he also has been criticized as a back that doesn't break many tackles and gets docked for a lack of field vision.
Despite monster games against the likes of LSU (35 carries for 198 yards) and Kentucky (30 touches for 210 total yards), many are still worried that the Houston native's skillset won't translate to the next level.
However, there are so many great attributes that he brings to the table. Not only has he produced on the field in College Station, he proved to be durable by carrying the ball over 22 times a game, and he has very quick feet that bode well for him at the next level. In addition, he is great at catching the football out of the backfield, which he turned into 66 receptions for 561 yards during his three-year collegiate career.
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Only speaking strictly to his abilities on the field, Williams is a similar running back to Ray Rice who won a Super Bowl in 2012 with the Baltimore Ravens. At 5-foot-8, Rice is slightly shorter than Williams, but their running styles are almost identical. While playing for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Rice was also used as a workhorse, averaging over 1,000 yards per season. In 2007, he rushed for 2,012 yards and, like Williams, was underutilized in the passing game.
With the NFL changing its style to become a pass-happy, offensive-minded game, Williams' unique ability to operate in tight spaces and run effectively would make him an ideal change of pace weapon who can do everything on the field.
Ray Rice was a second-round draft pick after his All-American junior season, but Williams could very easily slide to the later rounds of the NFL Draft. However, there are a couple of teams that could use his services and will compliment his abilities.
Here are the top three teams that Williams could make an immediate impact on.
1. New England Patriots: Bill Belichick is great at finding running backs deep in the draft and molding them into stars. Williams would definitely fit their scheme to compliment, Sonny Michel, James White, and the rest of the Patriots' weapons.
2. Green Bay Packers: The Packers haven't had a 1,000-yard running back since Eddie Lacy in 2014. Williams' durability and versatility should interest a new Green Bay coaching staff looking to make the most of Aaron Rodgers' final few seasons.
3. New York Giants: After seeing the success of rookie Saquon Barkley, and with limited depth behind him, adding Williams into this offense would pair two dynamic ball carriers on rookie contracts for several seasons.
Williams will get a little bigger, much stronger, and even a little faster by the time the NFL combine and draft comes around. He's a great character kid with a bright future. If he enters the draft now, some lucky team is going to get a steal with one of the best backs in the game!
