The NFL combine, football’s Spandex Olympics, boasts a variety of tests measuring speed, strength, agility and intelligence. Teams can meet with prospects individually for 15 minutes, and if that job interview reveals character concerns, it impacts draft day.
How players deal with the media provides a sliver of a fuller picture. So it created pause when Univeresity of Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams stepped to the podium and said he wanted to follow father Brian Williams’ footsteps into the NFL. His dad provided war correspondence and played in the league? Uh-oh.
It wasn’t that Brian Williams, the suspended NBC Nightly News anchor. Maxx Williams’ pops enjoyed a long NFL run, serving as a valuable center for the New York Giants from 1989-99 . His experience shaped Maxx’s view of his future. He left Minnesota after only two seasons at age 20, bringing inexperience, but intriguing talent as the draft’s top tight end.
“Having grown up watching my dad, I would say it’s a dream coming true for me,” Williams said. “I went to college with the dream of playing in the pros.”
The Broncos met with Williams at the combine. Tight end no longer exists as a top priority after re-signing Virgil Green and obtaining free agents Owen Daniels and James Casey. While Julius Thomas left amid criticism about his injuries and lack of blocking skills, he led all tight ends with nine red-zone touchdowns last season.
He presented little argument for fitting in new coach Gary Kubiak’s zone-blocking offense, especially at the $24 million the Jacksonville Jaguars guaranteed the former basketball star. The position, however, remains critical in Denver.
“I love tight ends, and they have obviously been used here a great deal in the past,” Kubiak said. “Tight ends make your offense flexible. They give you the ability to do a lot of things.”
Williams, a redshirt sophomore, brings explosiveness in the passing game and a frame built for blocking. He caught 36 passes for 569 yards and scored eight touchdowns as a second-team all-American.
He runs strong vertical routes, possesses sticky hands, but must become better at creating separation. Williams also created some rumblings about a me-first attitude during combine interviews.
“I wasn’t aware of any of that,” ESPN analyst Todd McShay said. “I would take Maxx Williams in the second round and feel really good about it. I expect him to be the first tight end off the board.”
Miami’s Clive Walford impressed scouts with his speed and athleticism. However, he struggled with drops because of focus issues.
“I am the best tight end in this draft because I can block, I can catch, I can run after the catch, do everything that a tight end is expected to do,” Walford said. “I feel that I’ve already proven myself. I just have to go out and be consistent, and all the doubters, just put them to sleep.”
Ohio State’s Jeff Heuerman provides a potential sleeper in the fourth or fifth round. A foot injury and quarterback changes affected him last season, but his 2013 game film was impressive.
Denver showed how much it values tight ends by prioritizing them this offseason. There is no urgency to select one early in the draft, but adding a developmental prospect could help ease the loss of Thomas and soothe future concerns about the position.
“Whether it be a position of need, or not, you want to be able to add someone who can compete in the NFL,” Broncos general manager John Elway said. “We are wide open to everything.”
Troy E. Renck: trenck@denverpost.com or
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| Top 2015 Tight End Prospects for Broncos | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Broncos reduced the need to address tight end in the draft by signing free agents Owen Daniels and James Casey. But if they stay at the 28th pick in the first round, a tight end could represent the best player on the board. NFL reporter Troy E. Renck analyzes, the top prospects. | |||
| Player | School | Projection | Analysis |
| Maxx Williams | Minnesota | Late first, early second round | Raw, but enormous upside |
| Clive Walford | Miami | Second, early third round | Drops create concerns |
| Nick O’Leary | Florida State | Third round | Great hands, but limited strength |
