In the movie Office Space, programmer Michael Bolton is asked why he doesn't go by "Mike" to avoid comparisons with the singer. He responds, "Why should I change? He's the one who sucks." I think of that when I consider Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams, who will be one of the first pass catchers drafted next month.
Williams is a big (6-4, 225) target who comes off a 98-catch, 1,361-yard season for the national champions. Receivers that big sometimes don't have the speed to make it in the NFL, as was one issue with the most famous previous Mike Williams, the Southern Cal receiver selected No. 10 overall by the Lions in 2005. Williams busted hard and was out of the league by 2008, though he had some brief success in a comeback with Seattle (and his college coach Pete Carroll) in 2010.
That same season, the Buccaneers drafted another Mike Williams in the fourth round, and he worked out a lot better. He had a pair of 900-yard season for Tampa Bay, catching 25 TDs with them. But he couldn't sustain the success and flopped in a stint with Buffalo. Also out of the league now.
As for the Clemson product, Williams didn't alleviate concerns about his speed when he failed to run at the combine. But he did run at Clemson's pro day last week, apparently being clocked in the 4.5s. His tape is good enough that he'll be drafted in the first round.
Mike Williamses everywhere will hope that team can make him into an NFL star.
Since 2000, 24 other wide receivers at least 6-foot-3 have been selected in the first round. They're shown below, sorted by weight (including the 2005 Mike Williams). The Clemson product falls roughly in the middle of list by weight; speed too.
| BIG FIRST-ROUND WIDEOUTS, 2000-2016 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Pk | Player | School | Ht | Wt | 40 time |
| 2014 | 28 | Kelvin Benjamin, Car. | Florida State | 6.05 | 240 | 4.61 |
| 2007 | 2 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | Georgia Tech | 6.05 | 239 | 4.35 |
| 2005 | 21 | Matt Jones, Jac. | Arkansas | 6.06 | 237 | 4.40 |
| 2000 | 8 | Plaxico Burress, Pitt. | Michigan State | 6.06 | 231 | 4.59 |
| 2014 | 7 | Mike Evans, T.B. | Texas A&M | 6.05 | 231 | 4.46 |
| 2010 | 22 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | Georgia Tech | 6.03 | 230 | 4.50 |
| 2005 | 10 | Mike Williams, Det. | Southern California | 6.05 | 229 | 4.57 |
| 2004 | 9 | Reggie Williams, Jac. | Washington | 6.04 | 229 | 4.56 |
| 2011 | 26 | Jon Baldwin, K.C. | Pittsburgh | 6.04 | 228 | 4.50 |
| 2012 | 13 | Michael Floyd, Ariz. | Notre Dame | 6.03 | 225 | 4.40 |
| 2004 | 3 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | Pittsburgh | 6.03 | 225 | 4.48 |
| 2011 | 6 | Julio Jones, Atl. | Alabama | 6.03 | 220 | 4.39 |
| 2004 | 29 | Michael Jenkins, Atl. | Ohio State | 6.04 | 218 | 4.60 |
| 2009 | 30 | Kenny Britt, Tenn. | Rutgers | 6.03 | 218 | 4.55 |
| 2000 | 21 | Sylvester Morris, K.C. | Jackson State | 6.03 | 216 | 4.60 |
| 2015 | 7 | Kevin White, Chi. | West Virginia | 6.03 | 215 | 4.35 |
| 2001 | 8 | David Terrell, Chi. | Michigan | 6.03 | 213 | 4.40 |
| 2011 | 4 | A.J. Green, Cin. | Georgia | 6.04 | 211 | 4.49 |
| 2005 | 3 | Braylon Edwards, Clev. | Michigan | 6.03 | 210 | 4.45 |
| 2002 | 20 | Javon Walker, G.B. | Florida State | 6.03 | 210 | 4.35 |
| 2015 | 14 | DeVante Parker, Mia. | Louisville | 6.03 | 209 | 4.45 |
| 2004 | 15 | Michael Clayton, T.B. | Louisiana State | 6.03 | 209 | 4.67 |
| 2002 | 19 | Ashley Lelie, Den. | Hawaii | 6.03 | 197 | 4.40 |
| 2016 | 22 | Josh Doctson, Wash. | Texas Christian | 6.03 | 195 | 4.50 |