Steve Helber/Associated Press LSU cornerback Greedy Williams was a first-round talent who didn't hear his name called during Thursday’s opening round of the 2019 NFL draft. That is welcome news for teams selecting near the top of the second round who need help in the secondary. Plenty of cornerbacks are available after Georgia's Deandre Baker was the only one taken Thursday (No. 30 by the New York Giants), and Williams is the best of the group. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller projected the LSU product to go No. 24 overall to the Oakland Raiders in his final mock draft and listed him as the top cornerback and 15th-best player overall in his last big board. Players who are that highly ranked rarely last into the second round, especially at a position as important as cornerback. Williams had six interceptions during the 2017 campaign and two in 2018 as opponents became more hesitant to throw his direction. His speed stands out more than his production after he ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He is someone who won't get beat deep on a consistent basis with that chase-down speed, and he also has the size at 6'2" to battle receivers in the red zone on fade routes and jump balls. Video Play Button Videos you might like Cornerback is as important as ever in the pass-happy NFL, and Williams won't have to wait long to hear his name called Friday. The Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills all pick within the top 10 selections of the second round and have cornerback as a listed need on NFL.com's draft tracker. The thought here is that the Cardinals will address the defensive side of the ball after going offense with Kyler Murray at No. 1. Arizona has holes across the roster after it went 3-13 in 2018 with a defense that was an abysmal 26th in the league in points allowed. In the NFC West alone, it has to deal with the Los Angeles Rams' high-octane attack, Russell Wilson on the Seattle Seahawks and Jimmy Garoppolo on the San Francisco 49ers. It can use all the secondary help it can get. Williams could also learn under Patrick Peterson, as the veteran is one of the best cornerbacks of his generation and would surely jump at the chance to mentor a fellow LSU player. The Cardinals shouldn't pass up the opportunity to land one of the best overall players in the entire draft in the second round and should take Williams with Friday's first pick.<doc-sep>BATON ROUGE, LA - SEPTEMBER 08: LSU Tigers cornerback Greedy Williams (29) during the LSU Tigers 31-0 win over the Southeastern Louisiana Lions on September 08, 2018, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) When it comes to the NFL Draft, John Dorsey appears to have no peers. In the second round,he proved it once more by selecting Greedy Williams. Many have argued for years that Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey excels at navigating the murky waters of the NFL Draft. On Friday night, he proved once again to be ahead of the curve, trading up two spots to secure the rights to former LSU star cornerback Greedy Williams. Williams was one of the top corner prospects in the draft, with mock drafts and analysts ranking him somewhere between the ninth pick and the 40th pick. But, no one could have expected this kind of fall (could they have? ). According to at least one composite big board, the former First-Team All SEC corner was the 23rd-ranked prospect in the draft. Dorsey selected him at 46th. That’s … a good deal. And, Pro Football Focus expert Sam Monson speculated that he may have been the best in the draft: Oh nice job, Browns. Greedy Williams has the best pure cover skills of anybody in this draft. If you passed on him because of tackling, shame on you. pic.twitter.com/Ody9GFRGHW — Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) April 27, 2019 FanSided NFL Reporter Matt Verderame also indicates it’s an insane steal. John Dorsey knows how to draft. Greedy Williams to the #Browns at this spot is an insane steal. — Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) April 27, 2019 Cleveland fans and NFL experts seemed excited about the pick, too: https://twitter.com/clevelanddotcom/status/1121931019358220289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/nellychillin/status/1121934081963565056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Greedy Williams is a first round talent for sure omg LETS GO — Andre ⚡️ (@Andre_flint2) April 27, 2019 https://twitter.com/ZeekThomas/status/1121934052053913600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw<doc-sep>Greedy Williams missed the call at first. The former LSU cornerback reached for his phone on the crowded couch in Shreveport, surrounded by dozens of family members. It was the call he'd been waiting for since he left Nashville, Tennessee, the night before, where waited in the NFL draft green room, dressed in a red suit, as 32 names were called in the first round that weren't his. NFL Draft live updates: Follow latest Saints, LSU developments on final day The 2019 NFL Draft began Thursday, starting a three-day stretch that will end with more than 200 college athletes getting a shot to be profess… The wait continued Friday night, when the second round commenced. Seven other cornerbacks were taken before the 6-foot-2, 182-pound Williams, who was named one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2018. Washington's Byron Murphy to the Arizona Cardinals at pick No. 33. Central Michigan's Sean Bunting to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 39. Vanderbilt's Joejuan Williams to the New England Patriots at No. 45. Reporters, fans and LSU teammates openly questioned Williams' fall. "R U SERIOUS ?" LSU nickel safety Kary Vincent tweeted. Then, the call came. Williams' girlfriend noticed, and he quickly called the number back. "It was Cleveland," Williams told The Advocate on Friday evening. Williams was quickly transferred to Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey. "He told me he's putting the call in right now, so get ready to be a Brown," Williams said. Another transfer. This time, it was Cleveland's first-year head coach, Freddie Kitchens. "(Kitchens) asked if I could play in the cold," Williams said. "I said, 'That ain't nothing to a kid like me.' He said, 'All right, we're going to get you up here very soon.’ ” The ABC telecast showed Williams cup his hands to his face, while family members leaned in to put their arms around him. The journey to the NFL was complete. "We're finally here, me and my family," Williams said. "I'm ready to just go to Cleveland and put in work, man. Just happy to be a part of the NFL." The Williamses had come a long way, much of it because of the game Greedy began playing at age 5, which is how his mother, Lakesha, met Lonnie Bryant, the little league coach who helped the family move from the poverty-stricken neighborhoods of Allendale and Cooper Road. Williams became a member of the heralded Calvary Baptist secondary named the "No Fly Zone," leading the team to state championships in 2013 and 2014, and once he finished his redshirt sophomore season at LSU, he declared early for the NFL draft and skipped out on the Fiesta Bowl to avoid injury and secure a path to a life-changing contract in the NFL. LSU sports news in your inbox If you're a Tiger fan you won't want to miss this newsletter. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "We all call him our hero," Lakesha said Wednesday. "It's just sacrificing that body and things like that. It's been able to get his family in a great position. We're going to support him like we've been doing since he was 5." Williams, a Shreveport native who started all 23 games he played at LSU, was projected by many to be selected No. 29 by the Kansas City Chiefs — but the Chiefs traded their pick to the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday. The Seahawks selected TCU defensive lineman L.J. Collier. Only one cornerback was selected in the first round. The New York Giants selected Georgia's Deandre Baker at No. 30, the cornerback who beat out Williams for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2018. It was the fewest cornerbacks drafted in the first round since at least 2000. "Oh yes definitely, I was surprised," said Baker, who said there are four or five cornerbacks remaining he thinks should be selected in the second round. "I thought more corners would come out in the first round. But I was the only one, so I'm just blessed it was me." Williams slipped in mock drafts in the pre-draft process. For example, Kiper's first mock draft in January pegged Williams to be drafted No. 4 overall by the Oakland Raiders. In his next latest mock draft, Kiper said the buzz surrounding Williams questionable tackling and inconsistent coverage — despite his 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine — dropped him to late first round. "I'm not afraid to tackle," Williams said at LSU pro day. "I just never have really been in a position to make a big tackle. I'm always in man-to-man. They understood where I was coming from. ... Like I told the scout: 'Put me in a Cover 2 and let that tight end run in that zone, and I'll show you what I can do.’ ” Once the Browns drafted Williams, ESPN analyst Booger McFarland, the former LSU defensive tackle, weighed in. "I know there are questions about his physicality, whether he wants to come up and tackle," McFarland said on the ABC telecast. "I get that. But when you want to play in this league now, where they throw the football 65 percent of the time, you better have some guys that can cover, and I think Greedy Williams can do that.” Back at the Browns team facility, Cleveland's Dorsey addressed the tackling concerns. "He's playing in the hardest conferences there are in college football," Dorsey said at the team's news conference. "I think he holds up very well. I have no problem with his tackling. He'll get you there. Corners are paid to cover. And the tackling aspect? Just get the guy down." And for Greedy? All of those questions? All of those players picked before him? "It's a great fit. I'm happy for everybody," Williams said. List of Louisiana players most likely to get drafted or sign as undrafted free agents List of Louisiana players who could hear their name called in the NFL Draft or will likely sign as undrafted free agents.<doc-sep>The Browns had clear needs in their secondary going into the 2019 NFL Draft, but after the Odell Beckham Jr. trade, Cleveland wasn't set to pick until the middle of the second round. But John Dorsey couldn't help but to move up, with Greedy Williams still on the board at No. 46 overall. Williams was my No. 1 cornerback and No. 6 overall prospect in this class. He showed he can be a ball hawk in 2017 when he reeled in six interceptions. His pick total decreased to just two in 2018, but Greedy is a suffocating press man corner. Because he's so fluid in his hips and flexible in his ankles with sub 4.40 speed, he looks effortless when mirroring receivers down the field. He wasn't as tall nor as long as expected at his weigh-in at the combine, but Williams is an outside cornerback at the NFL level and formulates an awesomely athletic pairing opposite 2018 top five pick Denzel Ward in Cleveland's secondary. Given the Browns' pass-rushing unit headlined by Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon, and Sheldon Richardson, Williams finds himself in an excellent situation to return to his turnover-creating ways as rookie and beyond. He isn't a physical, consistent tackler. At times, he looked to make some "business decisions" on the outside instead of attacking and wrapping up. That's the main, obvious ding on his game. In coverage, Williams can be a lockdown type. No clue how he was still available here.<doc-sep>
Former LSU Tigers cornerback Greedy Williams was expected by many to be a first-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. While that didn’t pan out, he enters day two and the start of the second round as one of the best available prospects. As far as where his next home will be, there are a number of interesting fits who draft early in the round. Williams, who stands 6-foot-2 and roughly 185 pounds, is coming off a strong two-year stretch with LSU. Between his freshman and sophomore seasons, he racked up 71 total tackles, 19 passes defensed, eight interceptions and 1.5 tackles for loss. His impressive play led to the decision to enter the NFL Draft and it’s widely expected that he’ll be a second-round selection after how day one played out. We’re going to take a look at the latest mock drafts and projections for Williams, along with the best team fits and possible landing spots. Greedy Williams NFL Draft Projections & Latest Mocks A number of NFL draft analysts and evaluators had Williams pegged as a first-round pick, so his slide is somewhat surprising. With that said, if he becomes an early second-rounder then they won’t be too far off. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller projected him to land with the Oakland Raiders at No. 24 in round one, the pick which Jon Gruden and company received from the Chicago Bears. Going even higher than that, Luke Easterling of USA Today’s Draft Wire had the former LSU cornerback as the No. 20 pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a fairly common theme to see, and even many big boards had Williams among the top-32 prospects available prior to the draft. The Draft Network’s final big board which featured the 300 best players available, listed Williams as the No. 27 prospect. This meant he was ahead of fellow cornerback Deandre Baker from Georgia (No. 31), who was selected in the first round. Greedy Williams NFL Draft Best Fits Include Seahawks, Raiders I love the fit Williams would make with the Bears, but they, unfortunately, don’t hold a second-round pick. There’s an obvious chance they could consider trading up into the second round, but they’re thin on selections this season due to a few trades over the past year or so, making it a longshot. If Chicago makes the jump, Williams should be one of the top options, but if not there are a number of other great suitors. Among them are the Seattle Seahawks who drafted defensive end L.J. Collier out of TCU in the first round. The Seahawks will be on the clock just five picks into the second round, so the potential for Williams to be there is a very real possibility. The Raiders could create trouble for Seattle early in round two, though, as they select No. 3 overall in the round and have a need at cornerback. Although the Arizona Cardinals are up first on Friday and may select a corner, if they don’t take Williams then Gruden could hop on the phone to reach out to the former LSU playmaker. A few additional teams worth keeping an eye on as options for Williams include the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, among others. READ NEXT: Kyler Murray’s 40-Yard Dash Time Among Fastest Ever by NFL QB