Quinnen Williams’ defensive coordinator is happy the lineman is staying put.
The second-year pro out of Alabama has arguably been Gregg Williams’ best player on a disappointing defensive front. While Williams hasn’t quite lived up to his draft slot, he’s still shown flashes that he can be a dominant interior defensive lineman in this league.
That’s exactly why the Jets plan on keeping Williams for the foreseeable future. This week, Adam Gase shot down “false” rumors that the Jets were actively shopping their former first-round pick, which was certainly well received by the team’s defensive coordinator.
“He’s at the very top of our league as an interior guy,” Gregg Williams said Friday, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “He’s only going to get better. I believe that. If he stays healthy, he’s going to be really, really, really good and I’m glad he’s here.”
Williams dealt with both neck and ankle injuries during his rookie campaign, which led to some inconsistencies in Year 1. Through seven games in 2020, however, Williams has clearly taken the next step. Among the league’s interior defensive linemen, Williams is tied for first in stops with 23, tied for second in run stuffs with nine, is seventh in sacks (3) and 16th in disruptions (13), according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
Between his agent going back-and-forth with an NFL Network Analyst and Williams himself trying to drown out the trade rumors swirling around, it’s been quite the week for the 22-year-old.
At the end of the day, though, Williams is wanted by the organization and Gregg Williams’ words of affirmation don’t ring hollow. He’s slowly becoming a dominant force inside, but he’ll need to cut down on the roughing the passer penalties going forward.
