2013 NFL Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers select Florida State LB Vince Williams
By Matt Shetler
It was expected that the Pittsburgh Steelers would look to add some depth at linebacker during the 2013 NFL Draft and they got around to doing exactly that.
With their final pick in the sixth round, the Steelers selected inside linebacker Vince Williams out of Florida State.
September 29, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles linebacker Vince Williams (11) points against the South Florida Bulls during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Williams is a guy that was invited to the Senior Bowl, but wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine.
At 6’1″, 250 pounds, Williams isn’t a bad linebacker.
He’s guy who reads very well and plays downhill. He’s got a motor that goes sideline to sideline and always finds a way to be around the ball. Williams is very physical and can fight through blocks to make plays. He plays with a mean streak and is a punishing hitter who covers a lot of ground.
Having said that, his over-aggressiveness gets him in trouble a lot as he has the tendency to over pursue plays regularly. Williams also isn’t great in coverage as he always appears to be guessing. He bites on tons of play fakes.
With that being said, he could be a very good two-down linebacker who comes off of the field on passing downs. Williams will be a good fit in the Steelers 3-4 as long as there is a solid front three in front of him.
His foot speed isn’t great, but he can make an impact initially on special teams and within time could find himself on the field in short-yardage situations.
Overall Williams is a physical interior run-stopper who brings a lot of leadership to the position. He should provide depth as a two-down inside linebacker and given some time might turn out to be useful.
The Steelers need depth at linebacker so this pick makes sense, especially if last year’s third round pick Sean Spence doesn’t make it all the way back from a serious knee injury.