If you’re concerned about Greedy Williams’ tackling, stop being a nerd

Cornerback Greedy Williams slipped into the second round of the NFL Draft. The Browns took him 46th overall to play him opposite Denzel Ward.

The Browns got a slight steal in Williams, who was usually mocked in the back half of the first round. Our Dan Kadar had Williams ranked as his 25th-best player overall, and some outlets had him higher. Early on, he commonly showed up in the top 10 of mock drafts.

The book on Williams is he has elite coverage skills with the most fluid hips of any DB in this class. But the downside, in the view of lots of evaluators, is something like this:

He just doesn’t like to get physical. Like ever. His tackling leaves a lot to be desired.

It’s a natural worry, but here’s my response.

The Browns certainly don’t — not enough to avoid picking him. “Corners are paid to cover,” general manager John Dorsey told reporters. “And then the tackling aspect — just get the guy down.”

Dorsey was channeling one of the best DBs to ever play when he said that. Deion Sanders famously said those same words back in his day.

“A reporter asked me to describe [my] game ... first and foremost they pay me to cover, they don’t pay me to tackle,” Sanders said. “And from that point on, it went everywhere. Anyone who has ever criticized my game has never seen film on me turning it down or running away from it.”

Williams’ new coach Freddie Kitchens joked with him over the phone: “You’re gonna have to tackle a little bit now. You know that, right?” Williams replied, “It’s never been a problem.”

It’s not that cornerbacks don’t have to tackle ever. But if you’re racking up tackles as a corner, it probably means the people you’re covering are catching the ball.

He’s an ankle-diver. There’s no getting around it.

Exhibit A:

B:

And C, among others:

Including Seahawks second-rounder D.K. Metcalf, who’s a physical freak:

Here’s Williams working on Georgia’s Riley Ridley, another future NFL receiver:

And Williams is capable of bringing a little somethin’ somethin’, like here ...

... and here, where he’s the “force” defender setting an edge:

That’s hard. His completion percentages against at LSU were low. His passer ratings allowed make it look like every throw against him came from the worst QB in the country (by far):

He uses his fluid hips to run with receivers as they get vertical. Even when he’s lined up in press coverage, he rarely actually uses his hands to jam. He’s a really good athlete, pairing his 6’2 frame and long arms with 4.37 speed.

Wilks is a DB coach by trade and has made technique a point of emphasis for the Browns.

From Day 1, even in the offseason when we are not working with pads, I still think it is a point of emphasis and it starts there. Then, once the season gets here, we can’t get away from it. It is not just one guy. It is a team effort. We have to get guys running to the football. We have to get guys understanding the proper leverage, angles, how we get there, how we arrive with velocity and most importantly, impact.

On the other side of the secondary, 2018 No. 4 overall pick and All-Rookie-teamer Ward has his own tackling issues. Former Browns coordinator Gregg Williams actually blamed Ward’s poor tackling technique for some of his injury woes as a rookie. But Ward still was Pro Football Focus’ 15th-ranked corner in general and the second best in man coverage.

Many of my naysayers said, “You know, Prime didn’t tackle.” I said, “Well, show me some film where he didn’t, or where he hurt his team.” But I want to respond to that publicly, because that affects me. It bothers me. It’s insinuating that I’m soft, and I’ve got kids.

Since 1989, I’ve tackled every bill my momma has ever given me. Haven’t missed one. The next time they say, “Prime didn’t tackle,” make sure you let ‘em know, “Yes he did.”

And Williams will too.