Chicago Bears: Running Backs to know for the 2019 NFL Draft

4. James Williams, Washington State

When it comes to catching the football, James Williams production is off the charts. At Washington State, Williams caught 202 passes over a three-year period. In other words, he might just be the most developed pass-catching running back in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Although Williams receiving numbers are off the charts, he needs to develop his route tree. In college, there were three main routes (swings, check-downs, and screens) that he would always be running. The two routes that he could add to his arsenal are arrow and slant routes.

With the right coaching, Williams can definitely develop into a more dangerous weapon in the NFL. On the Bears, he’s got the potential to be a versatile option in Matt Nagy’s offense as he’d be placed in the backfield or could see some time in the slot as a receiver.

Williams needs to learn how to be more physical in pass protection. While he was able to get away with this in college, in the NFL where defenders are bigger, faster, and stronger, he’ll need to be more physical to avoid being run over on every play that he’s asked to protect the quarterback.

So how exactly will Williams be an effective player at the NFL level? Considering he isn’t an explosive running back but can do some damage by catching the football, it’s fair to expect Williams to be someone that a team may turn to in third and short situations. To start out his career, he’ll likely be a situational player but as time goes on, he could see an expanded role.