National Football League

Former USC DL Leonard Williams falls to Jets at No. 6 overall in NFL Draft (VIDEO)

Published Apr. 30, 2015 11:07 p.m. ET

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The first curveball of the 2015 NFL Draft included former USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who fell to the New York Jets at No. 6 in the first round.

The All-American was thought to be a Top-5 pick and was considered by many to be the best overall player in the draft. As expected, quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota were selected at No. 1 and No. 2 overall, respectively.

The draft was lining up for Williams to have a homecoming of sorts, returning to his home state, to play for the Jaguars who held the No. 3 pick.

But it wasn't to be. The Jaguars selected a different defensive lineman, Dante Fowler, who played collegiately nearby in Gainesville, at the University of Florida.

The Raiders at No. 4 did what the Raiders do by drafting ex-Alabama wide reciever Amari Cooper. Washington took an offensive lineman, Iowa's Brandon Scherff, at No. 5.

When Williams became available at No. 6, Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan came calling. After the pick was made, Maccagnan said he was "kind of surprised" Williams fell in the Jets' lap.

Williams adds to the Jets wealth along the defensive line that includes Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, and Damon "Big Snacks" Harrison. The Jets are expected to run a 3-4 scheme under Bowles, and if that's the case, it'll be Wilkerson, Richardson and Williams vying for two spots.

While there are some out there who are now reporting the Jets could look to trade Wilkerson, it wouldn't be out of the question for Bowles to run multiple fronts.

"You can never have enough defensive d-linemen," Bowles said of his newfound problem.

Williams has the versatility to play on the interior of a four-man front and at the end of a three-man front. So the Jets have options.

The Jets have made a lot of noise this offseason with the hirings Maccagnan and Bowles, both of whom have never previously held a position of this stature. They also made a splash in free agency by bringing back cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie.

Given where the Jets' defense finished last season, allowing 25.1 points per game, good for 25th-best in the league, the defense needed to be addressed, and selecting Williams falls right in line.

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