Chicago Bears Mock Draft 5.0: Not sexy, but worth it
By Ryan Heckman
Round 7, Pick 222
7. player. 57. Pick Analysis. Washington State. RB. James Williams. Scouting Report
A lot of the talk has been around the running back position, at least from a fan’s standpoint. While I am not necessarily opposed to the Bears drafting guys like Miles Sanders, Darrell Henderson, Devin Singletary or David Montgomery (among other strong prospects), I truly believe this class is deep enough that Pace can find a useful back later on.
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That brings us to James Williams out of Washington State. While the Bears already have a guy who can run between the tackles and catch the football, in Mike Davis, as well as the lightning-quick and versatile Tarik Cohen, adding yet another versatile back could make this back field even more exciting.
Williams is one of the absolute best receiving backs in all of college football, if not the best. Over his three years in college, Williams was given 316 carries on the ground — a modest work load that equated to a 4.9 yard-per-carry average.
On the flip side, Williams has totaled a whopping 202 receptions in those three seasons, including 83 just last year. At just 5-foot-9, Williams is sneaky fast and jumps out of the gym with his 36.5-inch vertical jump.
The Bears would be a perfect fit for Williams as a guy who wouldn’t have to carry any major load, but could be used in a variety of ways. Whether it’s as an occasional third down back, or someone who could line up in the slot as a mismatch on linebackers, Williams gives the Bears a lot of options to be creative.