You never want to see a professional athlete injured. A player’s ability to earn a living is directly tied to his well being and talent on the field of play. So when the news came through yesterday that Cincinnati Bengals rookie offensive tackle Jonah Williams is likely to miss the entire 2019 season with a shoulder injury, you couldn’t help but hurt for the young man.
What a brutal way to start your professional career.
For the Miami Dolphins, the dilemma of what to do if both Christian Wilkins and Williams were on the board never materialized — but it likely would have been one hell of a debate in the draft room. The Dolphins entered this offseason knowing that addressing the trenches (on both sides of the ball) was a top priority. You saw that play out as the Dolphins drafted Wilkins and Wisconsin guard Michael Deiter with their first two selections.
But if Williams were on the board when Miami picked at 12, would the Dolphins have gone a different direction? It’s certainly possible — Williams was a top prospect in his own right, played another position of need and priority for the Dolphins’ current roster and brings the same passion for football and tough, physical play that the Dolphins coveted with their other early picks.
Had Miami been faced with the choice of Williams or Wilkins and taken the Alabama tackle, they might be facing the prospect of a hollow first-round pick for the first year of the Brian Flores regime. Not necessarily the worst thing — but certainly more fuel for the “2019 tank” fire. Instead, Williams’ very unfortunate injury will only impact the Dolphins in Week 16 this season, when the Dolphins host the Bengals — likely without Williams — in late December.
