Mile High Huddle

Broncos Film Room: What DL DeShawn Williams Brings as a Starter

The Denver Broncos plan to start DeShawn Williams upfront. Is he ready?

Erick Trickel

In this story:

The Denver Broncos appear to have made DeShawn Williams a starter on the defensive line. Williams had a roller-coaster career and bounced around before becoming a rotational piece in Denver. 

As the Broncos get ready to enter the 2022 season, Williams is currently sitting as a starter and is the favorite to remain in that post. However, there have been plenty of bright spots during his career. 

This season, Williams will have a significant opportunity to make the most of it, especially with D.J. Jones in the middle and Dre'Mont Jones opposite him. Williams offers a lot to the Broncos' defensive front, and you can see it when you look back on his 2021 season. 

It wasn't all perfect, as there were times Williams would get blown off the line of scrimmage, but he also made some huge plays. He also did a lot of little things that helped those around him, which is something you need upfront in this defense. 

Let's examine what Williams brings to the table as a starter. 

Play 1 | Washington Commanders | Week 8

Situation: First Quarter | 3:19 remaining | 2nd-&-8

Lined up as the 3-technique, Williams is on the outside shoulder of the left guard next to No. 91. Williams does his job to cross up the left guard, occupying that block and attacking the inside shoulder of the left tackle. 

Williams doing that sets up a stunt with 91, who can get up the middle to put pressure on the quarterback. Unfortunately, the QB is able to drop it over the linebackers and complete the pass. 

It's a good job by Williams as he leans into the guard to ensure he holds the block held for enough time. He works with a good base and bend, so when the guard pulls away, he can drive under the tackle and provide added pressure. 

Play 2 | Washington Commanders | Week 8

Situation: Second Quarter | 0:29 remaining | 2nd-&-3

Here we find Williams lined up as a 3-technique again on the outside shoulder of the left guard. The Broncos are in a small package, which is self-explanatory, with the Commanders having 29 seconds left in the first half. 

Williams is setting up another stunt with 91 but differently. He initially engages with the guard but sheds him to focus on the tackle. As he attacks the tackle, he is working the outside shoulder, as he is opening up more space inside. 

On the other side, No. 53 loops around with Williams opening up room and 91 clearing out the guard. The center, who is trying to stay engaged with 53, has to step up to avoid the engaged left guard by 91, which allows 53 to work the space opened by Williams. 

This forces pressure on the quarterback, with tight coverage, leading to the ball being thrown away. Fans can complain about Vic Fangio, but this was a good look upfront to try and generate pressure that he dialed up and was well executed. 

While Williams isn't the quickest or most bendy player, he does a good job working the outside shoulder with leverage. He pulls off a good push and pull move on the tackle but couldn't get his inside arm free to execute the swim. Williams then cuts inside with some smooth feet, but he had already opened up plenty of space for 53. 

What happens next on the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Please take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Play 3 | Los Angeles Chargers | Week 12

Situation: Second Quarter | 9:37 remaining | 3rd-&-5

Williams is the 4i-technique here, on the inside shoulder of the left tackle. He has a B-gap angle, as he works next to No. 59 and opposite of No. 93. Fangio loved stunts and twists, and we see another one here, but this time 59 is creating the opening for Williams. 

Off the snap, 59 engages the left tackle with an immediate attack inside. This gives the left guard little room to work and stay engaged with Williams, who cuts outside and gets a free run at the QB. The QB dumps it off to the running back for a first down, but the pressure forced the play before it developed. 

Williams isn't the quickest defensive lineman for the Broncos, but he does show a good closing burst. His quickness to get outside and the discipline to not overly engage with the left guard are also great. While it isn't the big, splashy play, it shows good discipline and burst from Williams, which you want to see from a projected starter.

Play 4 | Los Angeles Chargers | Week 12

Situation: Third Quarter | 15:00 remaining | 1st-&-15

The Broncos are going a little bigger in the middle with Williams as a 2i-technique with No. 98 as a 1-technique. They want to ensure the Chargers don't get a big run up the middle. 

It is a play-action, and Williams is engaged with the left guard. He works with a good base and gets the guard on his heels. The guard tries to reset his feet but cannot because Williams is overpowering him. After a couple of hops, the guard is essentially in the quarterback's lap, who ends up throwing it away. 

This is textbook bullrush from Williams. Get under the blocker, and use your strength to drive them back. Williams has plenty of power to be a capable starter in the NFL, and he shows it against the run and on this play as a pass rusher. 

Play 5 | Las Vegas Raiders | Week 16

Situation: First Quarter | 11:14 remaining | 2nd-&-2

The final play is against the Raiders, ending with a flag for holding on the Raiders' left guard on No. 96. Williams is again lined up as the 2i-technique against the right guard's inside shoulder. With the Raiders pinned back on not quite their 12-yard line, Denver wants to keep a balance between run defense and pass rush capabilities. 

Off the snap, Williams shoots the gap unaffected by the right guards' attempts. It was a run that looked designed to follow the center and left guard, but Williams and 96 get behind the line of scrimmage, Williams unblocked, wrecking those plans. The running back is forced to take it outside, where he is able to get the first down, except for the holding penalty. 

Williams, once against, shows burst and quickness to shoot the gap and blow up the play. He may not have been part of the tackle or the one that got held, but the result of the play is largely because of how quickly he got into the backfield. 

It wasn't a great move, exactly, from Williams. He just worked underneath the inside arm and burst through the gap before the right guard could fully engage the block. 

The Takeaway

While the 2021 season wasn't perfect from Williams, which no Broncos player had anything close to that, it was a good season. While these are only five plays, many more show what he brings to the table. 

It won't be mistake-free, but Williams has shown more than enough to inspire confidence if he maintains his position as the third starter on the Broncos' defensive line. 

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!

Published
Erick Trickel
ERICK TRICKEL

Erick Trickel is the Senior Draft Analyst for Mile High Huddle, has covered the Denver Broncos, NFL, and NFL Draft for the site since 2014. 

Home/Film