Tyleik Williams enters the NFL Draft after a promising career with the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was a key cog in the middle of the Buckeyes’ defense and has the physical upside to develop into a difference-maker at the next level.
Tyleik Williams’ Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 327 pounds
- Position: DT
- School: Ohio State
- Current Year: Senior
Williams’ Scouting Report
Williams was born in Manassas, Va., where he attended Unity Reed High School. He was a star on the gridiron earning first-team All-State on the way to becoming a high four-star recruit and the No. 4 overall player in the state of Virginia, according to 247Sports.
The star defensive lineman signed with the Buckeyes and was one of 14 freshmen to enroll early in 2021. He made an immediate impact with the Buckeyes as he played in 12 games and earned freshman All-American honors. He again was a key contributor as a sophomore and junior, earning honorable mention and second-team All-Big Ten nods, respectively.
Williams could have gone pro after his junior season but he and several other Buckeyes stars decided to come back to Columbus, Ohio, for one last dance to try to win a College Football Playoff National Championship.
He and his teammates succeeded in their quest, and he was a big reason why, as the 2024 Buckeyes defense was one of the best in all of college football. Williams now looks to find similar success in the NFL and hopes to hear his name called early on in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Strengths
- Very good size and mass to excel as a run-stuffing interior defensive lineman.
- Firm at the point of attack and has a very good anchor to hold his ground.
- Extremely explosive off the ball and has the quickness to shoot gaps and make plays behind the line of scrimmage.
- Outstanding ability to get off blocks in the run game and is extremely difficult to block 1-on-1 due to sheer power and explosiveness.
- Good overall hand use to stack and shed blocks.
- Flashes knock-back power as a bull rusher to collapse the integrity of the pocket.
- Versatile defender who can play multiple spots along the line of scrimmage in an odd- or even-front scheme.
- Very good range for a player of his size and makes plays down the line of scrimmage.
Weaknesses
- Lacks high-end length to keep pads clear and finish at the quarterback.
- Loses pad level at times and plays too high, which hinders his overall power.
- Doesn’t have the frame and mass to occupy multiple gaps and is best against single blocks rather than double teams.
- Has very good flashes and strings together excellent moments of football but needs to play at his peak down in and down out.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Williams is an exciting defensive tackle prospect who possesses the kind of raw athleticism and physical tools that will get many NFL decision-makers excited. He was a four-year contributor with Ohio State and enters the draft with a ton of experience and is a prime example of a player who will be more productive in the NFL than he was in college.
A physical player with very good size and strength, he reset the line of scrimmage in the run game for Ohio State. He is a highly disruptive run defender and is nearly impossible to block one on one.
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The run-stuffing tackle has exceptional explosiveness off the ball and has the quickness to shoot gaps and make plays behind the line of scrimmage. Williams has a powerful lower half and a firm anchor to set the point of attack and hold his own against single blocks but does give some ground against double teams.
Williams displays outstanding pop in his hands and can consistently knock back blockers, creating space for him to then go around the block and make the tackle. He has exceptional hands to stack and shed blockers and can uncover them with ease. He is also light on his feet for a big man and has the foot quickness and balance to play laterally flashing very good overall range.
In the passing game, Williams primarily wins with his bull rush and overall motor. He can convert speed to power and collapse the pocket by driving the blocker back. He makes a ton of plays late in the down as he never stops working even when his initial rush is stymied.
However, he does lack length, which hurts his ability to finish at the quarterback at times, and it will also allow longer-limbed blockers to win his chest and stop his rush. He must develop consistent hand counters to keep his chest clear and get to the quarterback as a rusher.
Overall, Williams projects as a high-upside run defender who still has some room to develop as a pass rusher. His raw physical tools give him a certain amount of upside that will have NFL decision-makers excited, and the fact that he can play in multiple defensive alignments is very appealing.
Williams ranks as one of the top overall defensive tackles in this class — he will likely get drafted early in Round 2 but could also sneak into the back half of Round 1.
