Joejuan Williams is one of the biggest cornerbacks in this year’s NFL Draft and the New England Patriots brought him in with the No. 45 pick in the second round. A number of defensive backs started to come off the board early and New England traded up to select Williams.
Here are four things that Patriots fans should know about Williams.
1. He adds immediate size to the secondary
Standing at 6-foot-3, Williams will bring a towering presence to Foxborough. His size allows him the versatility to cover the larger wide receivers in the league, as well as tight ends if necessary. This pick is reminiscent of when New England employed Brandon Browner in the secondary back in 2014.
2. Vanderbilt Connection
Anchor Down! Adam Butler was certainly excited to see New England select his former teammate in Williams. After being drafted by the Patriots, Williams mentioned looking up to Butler as a mentor
3. He was a top CB in the SEC
Williams was a stud defensive back in one of the most competitive conferences in all of college football. He led the conference in a number of categories and should look to continue that success in New England.
4. He shares some similarities to Richard Sherman
Not only is Williams a big corner like Sherman but he also played under the tutelage of Derrick Mason, the current coach at Vanderbilt. Williams said that he models his game after Sherman too which is not a bad player to take after. Many fans would be happy to see him play up to the levels that Sherman has.
