James Williams Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Peter Joneliet/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

School: Miami

Class: Junior

Position: SAF

HT: 6’5

WT: 215 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #34

Background: James Williams was a 5-star safety out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He played his high school football at American Heritage Academy and became the best safety in his recruiting class. Williams was a dynamic ballhawk in high school, tallying 6 interceptions and 4 passes defended in his junior season. He was selected to play in both the Under Armour All-American Game as well as the Army All-American Bowl. Out of high school, Williams essentially had his pick for where he wanted to go to school. He ultimately chose to stay close to home and attend Miami.

College: As a freshman at Miami, Williams started in 7 games and was an ACC Honorable Mention. He followed that up in 2022 by starting in 10 games and becoming a mainstay in the Miami defense. He had an interception and 6 PBUs in his sophomore campaign. In 2023, Williams started every game for Miami and had 73 tackles on the season. James was also credited with 5 pass breakups.

Strengths: He has a knack for making offenses uncomfortable. James Williams uses his size to physically impose his will on the opponent. He is a hard hitting safety, reminiscent of another Miami safety from the early 2000s. Williams plays deep safety, but also loads the box at a high rate. He is able to play as a traditional safety, a nickel, or a sub package linebacker. His athleticism and size allow for him to matchup against any type of receiver or tight end. He has decent ball skills combined with an ability to stay on the inside hip of his man. Even as a safety, he more than holds his own when put into man coverage. Williams launches himself to the ball carrier once the play develops and can lay the wood if given the opportunity. He does not give routes the chance to breathe in front of him. He has been the true disruptor for the Miami defense.

Weaknesses: James Williams needs to play with a higher motor and a certain motivation. He needs to play like every snap may be his last. He can often be seen jogging or getting lazy in his back pedal, which comes back to bite him when the offense decides to take advantage. When playing inside the box and manning up on a tight end or slot receiver, he has trouble handing off the route to the deep safety. He gets turned around or passes off his man at the wrong time.

Conclusion: His positional versatility makes him an intriguing player coming into the draft, but we have yet to see a real Swiss Army Knife reach his full potential in the NFL. Williams can play all over the field as a nickel or strong safety close to the line of scrimmage. He has a skillset that can easily translate to the NFL. The biggest question for Williams’ future is how he will be used at the next level.

Scheme Fit: Zone Coverage

Ideal Role: Nickel Safety

Best Team Fits: PHI, GB, SF

Player Comparison: Kam Chancellor

Player Grade: 85.8