Alabama WR Jameson Williams Progressing After ACL Surgery; Could Cowboys Draft Him?

The Cowboys need a receiver, and Williams could be that answer.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 30, 2022

If Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams didn't tear his ACL in his CFP National Championship, he likely would have been considered as the first or second receiver off the board in next month's draft.

Jameson Williams

Calvin Ridley

Russell Gage

Williams isn't participating in Alabama's Pro Day, but he did share a video on social media of his progress.

Former Alabama WR Jameson Williams, two months removed from surgery on his torn ACL, is not participating in Alabama’s Pro Day today. But here here he is last week, continuing to progress, with the expectation being that he’ll be running by the draft, per @Alliance_Sports. pic.twitter.com/Z4cP9J1mbR
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 30, 2022

However, Williams' injury is going to cost him more than just playing time at the start of the 2022 season. He'll likely fall with an incredibly talented wide receiver draft pool on Day 1. Players like Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Drake London will almost certainly hear their names called on Day 1, pushing Williams back to a possible Day 2 value pick.

If the Cowboys drafted Williams, he wouldn't be given a massive role straight out of the gate. He'd play behind CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, who is also recovering from a January ACL tear.

Drake London

Garrett Wilson

Chris Olave

However, the Cowboys are in a position to draft for depth and have proven to target depth receivers in the first round. Just two years ago, the team drafted CeeDee Lamb to complement Amari Cooper with the 17th overall pick.

Jerry Jones - or, better said, personnel boss Will McClay - is also someone who likes drafting well-known college players. Williams checks that box off, too.

Williams will likely fall to the early second round, but the Cowboys have the 24th pick (likely too high) and the 56th pick (likely too low). If the Cowboys wanted to get Williams at the right value, it could be in a trade up or down scenario.

Published Mar 30, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.