Philadelphia Eagles: Rumored interest in Jameson Williams is justified

When it comes to wide receiver, it would appear the Philadelphia Eagles are looking to make a splash.

Now sure, could the team let the board come to them, be patient, and still come away from the first two days of the 2022 NFL Draft with a solid receiving option like Christian Watson? You bet; this year’s class is one of the deepest in recent memory, and there will certainly be players who are selected on Day 2 or even 3 that would have heard their names called much higher in another draft. But for a team that hasn’t fielded a “complete” trio of receivers since all the way back in 2017 – coincidentally the year they won the Super Bowl – securing a solid third offensive option who tops out at around 45 catches for 500 yards and two touchdowns just isn’t going to move the needle.

No, if the most recent round of trade rumors are to be believed, Howie Roseman is looking to secure himself the sort of high-end talent worthy of headlining an offense alongside 2021 first-round pick DeVonta Smith and 2018 second-round pick Dallas Goedert.

But who are the Philadelphia Eagles targeting? Could they be preparing a massive trade package for Deebo Samuel? Or maybe an all-picks offer to move into the top-10 for their favorite receiver? Well, according to Todd McShay, the Birds might just have eyes for this year’s premier product out of Alabama, Jameson Williams.

The Philadelphia Eagles clearly want a new wide receiver who can go.

Jameson Williams might just be the most exciting wide receiver in this year’s class.

Sure, he isn’t the biggest, strongest, or most prolific collegiate performer in this year’s class, but if there’s one thing Williams can do better than any of his peers, it’s making plays on the deep ball.

Measuring in at 6-foot-1, 179 pounds, Williams looks like Will Fuller, had just one productive season at Alabama following a non-existent run at Ohio State, and might just be the closest player to another Howie Roseman favorite, DeSean Jackson, that the 2022 NFL Draft has to offer.

Now granted, Williams is far from a complete player. He isn’t going to juke cornerbacks out of their shoes with his exceptional route running like his former Ohio State teammate Chris Olave and will have to have some of his production manufactured via screen passes, RPOs, and even some sweep plays for good measure, but his ability to make plays down the field is in a league of its own, and his 671 deep receiving yards ranked fifth in the NCAA in 2021, according to PFF.

With DeVonta Smith locked in as a semi-traditional WR1, Williams could be the rare deep threat capable of winning deep from the X wide receiver spot, which is a feat not many speedsters can boast. Williams’ speed could shade safeties in his direction, draft additional attention from defensive coordinators, and open up plays underneath for receivers like Zach Pascal, Dallas Goedert, and even running backs like Kenneth Gainwell.

After having T.Y. Hilton at his disposal for his entire run in Indianapolis, giving Nick Sirianni a player like Williams, who is like a super-sized version of “Ghost,” could unlock a new aspect to the Eagles’ offense and make their running game all the more deadly.

In 2021, foes of Philly’s football team were able to stack the box with additional defenders because of the weaknesses – legitimate or perceived – of the team’s passing game. Now granted, that didn’t slow the Eagles’ rushing attack down too much, as Jeff Stoutland was able to draw up some incredible rushing concepts regardless of the personnel on the field, but having a speedster like Williams who can burn most cornerbacks the NFL has to offer changes the entire offensive equation, as his presence almost demands a second safety over the top instead of in the box.

With Williams in place, the middle of the field would open up more, as would Smith’s looks on the outside, and the ability to play him alongside Quez Watkins could create some seriously speedy matchups the likes of which Philly hasn’t seen since… well, maybe ever.

Who knows, maybe this is all for not. Maybe the Philadelphia Eagles are seeding Todd McShay with Jameson Williams rumors to hide their interest in another prospect or to facilitate another trade down. But if it does prove to be true, keying in on the Alabama product as a long-term difference-maker is a rather predictable outcome as, even coming off of a torn ACL, there isn’t a more exciting wide receiver, nay, player in the 2022 NFL Draft class than Jameson Williams, even if he doesn’t have the traditional X receiver game many a fan might be hoping for.