Baltimore Ravens

2017 NFL Draft: 5 Best Landing Spots for Mike Williams

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:56 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Daniel Thomas/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

Clemson’s wide receiver Mike Williams is a sure-fire first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft but where are the best landing spots for him?

Any diehard college football fan knows who Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams is. Even the mild-mannered college football fan who only tunes in for nationally televised games knows who Williams is. The last time either set of fans saw him in action he caught eight balls for 94 yards and a touchdown in the National Championship against Alabama.

For the season, the 6-3, 225-pound wideout finished top-two in the ACC in receptions (98), receiving yards (1,361) and receiving touchdowns (11). It’s not a bad way for Williams to close out his college career, especially after missing basically all of 2015 with a broken bone in his neck.

It shouldn’t exactly come as a surprise to NFL fans that the Clemson wide receiver is going to be counted on as an impact player from Day 1. After all, the Clemson Tigers produced former first-round picks DeAndre Hopkins in 2013 and Sammy Watkins in 2014. This past season, Hopkins had to deal with atrocious quarterback play while Watkins battled injuries. Yet, when these two are healthy and on the field, they are two of the most dangerous wide receivers in the NFL.

Will the same be said about Williams two or three years from now? That’s something I can’t tell you, but I can tell you what five (realistic) landing spots would greatly benefit Williams. Let’s dive into it.

5. Arizona Cardinals – 13th Overall

It wasn’t that long ago when the Cardinals had a deep group of solid wide receivers. Going into 2017, that’s no longer the case. In Dec. 2016, the Cardinals released their 2012 first-round pick Michael Floyd after he was arrested for a DUI. Arizona’s best and most prolific wide receiver in franchise history, Larry Fitzgerald, will turn 34 before Week 1 of the 2017 season. There’s a chance Fitzgerald could hang it up at some point before the season but if he doesn’t, retirement is still right around the corner.

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The Cardinals 2014, third-round pick John “Smokey” Brown broke out in 2015 when he finished with 65 receptions, 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns. However, last season the receiver was slowed down after being diagnosed with the sickle-cell trait. Due to the illness, Brown only had 39 receptions, 517 yards and two touchdowns. Hopefully Brown will bounce-back to full strength from this illness, but it’s no guarantee.

Arizona needs a playmaker on the outside in order to keep defenses honest from stacking the box against the dangerous David Johnson. That’s where Williams come in. His presence on the outside would not only help Johnson but it would also open things up for Fitzgerald who plays in the slot (if he returns). Drafting Williams to go along with David Johnson would give the Cardinals two strong foundation pieces on the offensive side of the ball. The real problem for Williams and the Cardinals is the quarterback position.

It seems like Carson Palmer has been around forever and the former USC Trojan is 37 years old. There’s a chance he, just like Fitzgerald, doesn’t return for 2017. If that’s he case, Arizona might not have the luxury of using a first-round pick on Williams but instead could be looking to draft their quarterback of the future in the first round.

If Palmer does return for 2017, he won’t be connecting with Williams on passes for very long because the off-ramp is only a stop or two away. After Palmer retires, who knows who would be throwing passes to Williams.

Aug 13, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) speaks with head coach John Harbaugh during the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints in a preseason NFL football game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

4. Baltimore Ravens – 16th Overall

In 2015, injuries plagued what seemed like the entire Baltimore Ravens roster and that included wide receivers Steve Smith, Breshad Perriman, Marlon Brown and Michael Campanaro. This past season they had pretty good contribution from their receivers as free agent addition Mike Wallace went over 1,000 yards receiving and a healthier Steve Smith finished with 70 receptions in 14 games.

Going into 2017, they will not have Smith who has already announced his retirement and their third wide receiver, Kamar Aiken, is a free agent. The Ravens attempted to fix their wide receiver issues in 2015 when they drafted Perriman in the first round, but it hasn’t exactly worked out. The second-year man missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury and in 2016, he only had 33 receptions. There’s still time for Perriman to live up this first-round pedigree but he can’t be fully trusted to do so at this point.

Jeff Zrebiec from The Baltimore Sun speculates Mike Wallace could be a released during the offseason due to his $8 million cap hit. If that were to happen, the Ravens could be without three of their top four receivers from 2016 and as mentioned before, Perriman still has a lot to prove. Even if Wallace isn’t released, he will be a free agent at the end of next season after only signing a two-year contract before the start of the 2016 season.

If the Ravens want to get back to the postseason after missing the playoffs in two straight seasons, they are going to have to surround their highly debated quarterback, Joe Flacco, with some weapons. Lining Williams up opposite of Perriman would give the Ravens a nice wide receiver combination. Both receivers have good size but Perriman has the speed to take the top off a defense while Williams has the strong hands and red zone capability Perriman currently lacks.

Nov 6, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson talks with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The New York Giants defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 28-23. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

3. Philadelphia Eagles – 14th or 15th Overall (Coin Flip)

It didn’t take long for the team and fans to realize rookie quarterback Carson Wentz had almost no real weapons around him. For that reason, the Eagles should make upgrading their group of wide receivers priority No. 1.

The Eagles attempted to give their wide receivers an upgrade before the 2016 season when they traded for Dorial Green-Beckham from the Tennessee Titans. DGB has imposing size at 6-5 and 237 pounds and was the 40th overall pick in the 2015 draft. Yet, there’s a reason why the Titans gave him away for basically nothing.

He’s an underachieving receiver and other than his size, there isn’t anything special about him. To make matters worse, his work-ethic and commitment to the game has been questioned on numerous occasions. Beckham did manage to finish second on the team among wide receivers in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. What’s sad about that is his stat-line for the year was 36/392/2.

Depending on who the Eagles sign in free agency, Williams could go into the season as the Eagles No.1 WR if Philadelphia drafted him. The trio of Williams, Jordan Matthews and whatever possible free agent addition could have this group of wide receivers looking pretty dangerous. Not to mention, the combination of Williams (6-3), DGB (6-5), Matthews (6-3) and tight end Zach Ertz (6-5) near the red zone would be a luxury Carson Wentz would love to have.

Dec 11, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA;Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter and quarterback Jameis Winston (3) talk against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 19th Overall

There are many first-round quarterbacks who don’t work out but that doesn’t look like the case with Jameis Winston. In each of his first two seasons Winston has thrown for 4,000+ yards while while totaling 28 touchdowns. Now they need to make sure Winston continues to progress and a way they can do that is by giving him better weapons. It’s not all the Buccaneers fault because on paper, they had a solid group of guys around Winston at one point. However, those guys have suddenly disappeared.

Wide receiver Vincent Jackson signed with Tampa Bay in 2012 and had three-straight 1,000-yard seasons with the franchise. Due to injuries, Jackson has only played in 15 games over the last two seasons and he’s now a free agent.

At the start of last season, tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins‘s attitude and DUI forced the Buccaneers to release the former second-round pick after less then three seasons with the team.

Now, former All-Pro running back Doug Martin is battling some off-the-field demons and has three games left on his four-game suspension. At this point, his future with the team is up in the air.

The Buccaneers clearly need a No. 2 wide receiver opposite of Mike Evans, and Williams could be that guy. The duo of Evans and Williams would give Winston two big targets and Winston has benefited from bigger receivers in college (Kelvin Benjamin) and in the NFL. Williams presence on the field would also make defenses think twice about putting double-coverage on Evans throughout games.

At this point, it does not appear likely Williams falls to 19th overall. Then again, depending on how free agency shakes out and if Western Michigan’s Corey Davis is selected ahead of Williams, it’s certainly possible.

Oct 2, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Mularkey (left) speaks with quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) before the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

1. Tennessee Titans – 5th and 18th Overall

Just like the Buccaneers, the Titans appear to have found their quarterback for the next decade in Marcus Mariota. After showing promise as a rookie, Mariota was having a fantastic 2016 season and he really found his rhythm in the middle of the year. Between Weeks 5 and 12 Mariota had 23 total touchdowns and just five turnovers. During that span, he also managed to average 259 passing yards per game.

Mariota’s season came to an unfortunate end when he broke his leg in Week 16 and despite having the same record as AFC South champions Houston Texans, the Titans missed the playoffs. Still, the Titans future looks bright as ever. If they can find Mariota another solid weapon on the outside, it’ll be looking even better.

The Titans got more then they could have bargained for with free agent addition Rishard Matthews in 2016. In his first season with the Titans, the former seventh-round pick finished with 945 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Not only did he lead the Titans in receiving yards and in receiving touchdowns, but his 65 receptions tied for the most on the team along with tight end Delanie Walker. The fact is as great as Matthews played in 2016, he isn’t a true No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL.

A player like Mike Williams on the outside could do wonders for the Titans offense and Mariota’s progression. Defenses wouldn’t be able to stack the box against the dangerous running back duo that is DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. Williams presence would also present Matthews with more one-on-one opportunities and as we saw last season, he has the ability to burn defenses when they do that. Throw in one of the more athletic tight ends in the NFL with Delanie Walker and defenses are going to be vulnerable against one of these Titans playmaker on almost every play.

At this point it wouldn’t appear to be a reach if the Titans selected Williams fifth-overall. However, if they were able to somehow snag him with their second, first-round pick the Titans would be getting terrific value.

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