Is Tulane's Dorian Williams Lions' LB of Future?

All Lions scouting report on Tulane Green Wave linebacker Dorian Williams.

Going into this April's NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions have a clear-cut need at the linebacker position. 

If the 2023 campaign were to start today, the Lions would enter the season with Malcolm Rodriguez, Alex Anzalone, James Houston, Derrick Barnes and Jalen Reeves-Maybin as their primary linebackers.

It's a decent group of linebackers, with Anzalone the veteran leader of the bunch. However, the team is still in need of at least one more playmaker at the position. 

If Detroit chooses to address the aforementioned void later in the draft, Tulane's Dorian Williams would be an obvious fit. 

The 6-foot-1, 220-plus-pounder is coming off a season in which he finished with an impressive 126 total tackles, including 8.5 tackles for loss. He also logged a career-best five sacks, eight passes defensed, two interceptions and two forced fumbles in his final season with the Green Wave.

Throughout his four-year college career, he played with a high-end motor, and developed a reputation for being a reliable tackler and a productive special teams performer. In fact, he amassed more than 700 reps on special teams during his time at Tulane. 

In 48 total games with the Green Wave, Williams produced 306 combined tackles, including 27 for loss, to go along with 9.5 sacks, 14 passes defensed, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Tulane Linebacker Dorian Williams / Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

As the tackling machine's NFL Draft Bible evaluation reads, "Williams has good arm length and a massive wingspan that will turn heads in the pre-draft process. The South Carolina native has cut down on missed tackles this season. He displays a quick downhill trigger with a good closing burst. That burst also helps him make plays as a backside run defender. Williams’ eyes see clearly into the backfield and help him track down the running back. He’s a high-effort pursuit player who uses his length to expand his tackle radius. Williams has active hands in pass defense, which he uses to disrupt passing lanes. He lacks sideline-to-sideline range but has sufficient speed and range to shut down outside runs to the near sideline. Williams gains sufficient depth in his coverage drops and shows flashes of carrying tight ends downfield and disrupting wheel routes. However, he’s most at home in coverage when covering the flat. Williams will fit best in a zone-heavy scheme at the next level." 

Williams still has some developing to do before he can become an impact linebacker at the next level. For instance, he failed to consistently showcase the ability to proficiently take on and deconstruct blocks as a collegiate defender.

At the same time, though, he already possesses the necessary size and experience to be an immediate impact performer on special teams. And, with some time and grooming, he could just develop into a starting NFL linebacker one day. 

Williams would make for a great find for Detroit general manager Brad Holmes, with one of the Lions' two sixth-round picks this April.