Ahead of Saturday’s game between Auburn and Ole Miss, I wanted to spotlight Seth Williams and why his skill set is attractive to the NFL. Williams is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound junior wide receiver at Auburn. In 2019, he had nearly 900 yards receiving and was voted third-team All-SEC. This season, he picked up right where he left off—he currently has nearly 300 yards receiving after four games.

Williams is one of the best receivers in the nation. Based on his 2019 tape, he has certainly improved this season at creating more separation as a route-runner and setting up defenders to beat man coverage. What makes him even more dangerous is his ability to win contested-catch situations. He has improved at attacking the football in the air and may be the best 50/50 ball catcher in the nation. He has extremely strong hands and a very good catch radius. He is effective in the short to intermediate area, particularly when using his body to shield defenders on slants. He is a physical wide receiver who demonstrates good toughness catching “6” routes over the middle. He is a nightmare to defend in the red zone and goal line areas in slant, fade, and back shoulder situations, mainly due to his contested catch ability, physicality at the catch point, and his athleticism paired with outstanding jumping ability. His statistics would be better with more consistent quarterback play, but he does an outstanding job of maximizing his opportunities.

Williams has the makings of a prototypical “X” wide receiver in the NFL and decision-makers will love his skill set. Based on his 2019 tape, the one area where he could afford to improve was setting up defenders as a route-runner against man coverage. He doesn’t create a lot of separation with quickness at the top of the route, which resulted in him being in contested-catch situations. Defeating press against the talented corners in the SEC will also be telling as the season continues. However, he is excellent at using his body to shield defenders and being physical at the catch point.

Evaluators will love his efficiency as a catcher as his strong, natural hands are coveted by NFL teams. Offensive coordinators could get creative in the manner in which they use him by aligning him as a “Big Slot” or playing him outside. He may be best suited playing off the ball until he learns to use his hands more consistently to defeat press with strength off the line of scrimmage. This will be invaluable to offensive coordinators and Williams has the mental aptitude to align in multiple places. This should not hinder his stock, because the best coaches highlight what their players do well and put them in the best position to succeed.

In my projection, Williams is a top-50 player who could very well be a fast riser as he goes through the process. He is projected to run in the 4.4s, and this would do nothing but cement his status as one of the best wide receivers in this class.