Blessed with the same exceptional athletic skills that his older brothers, J.D. (1990 first-round pick by the Buffalo Bills) and the late Curtis (University of Washington) possessed, Paul is perhaps one of the biggest enigmas in the 2007 draft. With his impressive size, blazing speed and long arms, he looks like a natural fit as the prototype wide receiver, but he has failed to produce numbers that would warrant his lofty ratings in the eyes of pro scouts.

With his senior campaign sidetracked by knee and hip injuries, inconsistencies and lack of production, along with a perceived notion that he does not enjoy playing offense, Paul could be better served by returning to his original position in the defensive backfield. After his brother, Curtis, was paralyzed in the 2000 Stanford-Washington game and died 19 months later from complications due to that injury, the youngest Williams sibling might need to dig down deep inside to see if football is his calling. Based on his recent performances, a change of positions might be one way to salvage what was once a promising career.

A first-team all-star selection as a defensive back by the Fresno Bee during his senior year at Avenal High School, Williams was named League Defensive Player of the Year in 2001. He intercepted 13 passes that season and also excelled on offense, scoring 18 touchdowns and gaining 953 yards receiving. He also returned three kickoffs for scores. The two-time all-league football choice also garnered all-league accolades in basketball as a junior. He also starred on the track squad, reaching the Valley Finals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes during his senior year.

Williams decided to enroll at Fresno State in 2002, choosing the Bulldogs over UCLA and Washington. He redshirted that year, performing on the scout team as a cornerback. Williams appeared briefly in seven games as a reserve receiver in 2003, making three catches for 20 yards (6.7 avg.). He saw most of his action on the special team coverage units, registering 10 tackles (8 solos).

Williams played in 12 games, starting twice at split end during the 2004 season. He came up with five receptions for 70 yards (14.0 avg.) and scored his first career touchdown on a 43-yard reverse. He added 22 yards on a punt return and recorded seven tackles (5 solos).

The first-team All-Western Athletic Conference choice started all 13 games at split end in 2005. He hauled in 43 passes for 729 yards (17.0 avg.) and seven touchdowns while also picking up 83 yards on nine carries (9.2 avg.). He blocked a punt that he recovered for a 25-yard touchdown return and delivered five tackles (4 solos) with a stop for a 6-yard loss.

Williams started five of seven games in 2006, missing the Utah State and Hawaii contests due to knee and hip problems suffered first against Oregon and two games later against Colorado State. He returned for two games, but then sat out the final three games against Idaho, Louisiana Tech and San Jose State with a high ankle sprain.

Williams finished his senior year by catching 21 passes for 229 yards (10.9 avg.) and a touchdown. He rushed six times for 48 yards (8.0 avg.) and returned two kickoffs for 26 yards. He also posted two solo tackles and caused one fumble.

In 39 games at Fresno State, Williams started 20 times. He caught 72 passes for 1,048 yards (14.6 avg.) and eight touchdowns, adding 174 yards and a score on 16 carries (10.9 avg.). He gained 47 yards on two punt returns and 26 yards on two kickoff returns. He also registered 24 tackles (19 solos) with a stop for a six-yard loss, one forced fumble and a blocked kick.

Positives: Has an athletic frame with very long limbs, large hands, solid upper- and lower-body muscle development and good weight-room strength … Long strider who shows the explosive burst to separate after the catch … Shows the hip snap to change direction fluidly and the leaping ability to get to the ball at its high point … Good worker in practices and the weight room, serving well as a leader-by-example … Has a smooth stride that lets him quickly run up on a defensive back and eat up the cushion … Best on vertical routes, where he can use his size to shield the ball from the defender … Knows how to keep his feet in bounds working along the sidelines … Does a good job of settling into the soft spot of the zone … Has the large hands and good arm extension to extend for the ball in a crowd … Does a good job of maintaining acceleration after the catch … Will not back away from the crowd trying to get to the ball over the middle … Will round off some of his routes, but can get away with it at times due to his quickness … Demonstrates a good swim move and quick feet to escape the jam (needs to be more consistent though) … Gets down the seam quickly and follows the ball in flight well, especially over his outside shoulder … Uses his speed effectively as a gunner on special teams … Solid wrap-up tackler who might be a better fit at cornerback, where he can use his speed and long arms to combat receivers for the ball (acknowledges that he would prefer to play defense) … As a defender, he has the loose hips and quick feet to come out of his breaks cleanly, and it is apparent that he has the speed to mirror the receiver on deep routes … Another potential reason to shift him to defense is his ability to take angles and slant in attempts to find the shortest path to the ball … Seems to have the vision to locate the ball, if allowed to play in the zone and with his speed, he can close in a hurry and has the range needed to keep plays in front of him.

Negatives: Frame might be at maximum growth potential … Will compete for jump balls, but needs to play with better consistency and urgency, as he will throttle down when not involved in the play … Can retain plays, but needs several reps to digest … Despite his explosive speed, he seems to go through the motions at times and tends to not use his hands with consistency in attempts to escape the jam … When he glides off the ball, he will sometimes take false steps, which allow the defensive back to recover and mirror him throughout his route progression … Needs to use his weight-room strength with more consistency, as he struggles at times to get a clean release vs. a physical press … Must develop better hand usage to prevent defenders from attacking his body and re-routing him … Must improve his route running, as he tends to make soft angle cuts, drifting too much in his hitch patterns … Lacks precise plant-and-drive agility to come out of his breaks cleanly … Lacks suddenness in transition and, while he gets good elevation, he must improve his timing when competing for jump balls (had 24 of the 127 passes thrown to him deflected by the opposition during his career) … Has great open-field acceleration, but doesn't show great head fakes or hip wiggle to elude, relying more on his strength to break tackles … Shows good blocking stance, getting his hands up quickly when keeping a wide base, but must work harder to sustain and finish … Must play with better focus, as he has been charged with a high amount of costly penalties (five in 2005, three in 2006) … Not a happy camper on offense, and with his range, quickness, long arms and past defensive experience, he could bring better value on the other side of the ball … Despite his long arms, he lets the ball come into his body too much and needs to do a better job catching outside his framework (you can see his reach competing for jump balls, but he short-arms too much when having to operate in tight areas) … Must be more conscious of ball security, as most of his fumbles are the result of poor ball distribution and leaving it exposed after the catch.

Compares To: Ken Lucas, Carolina -- Williams just does not impress as a receiver, as you can plainly see he is not happy on offense … With his previous experience and family bloodlines on defense, he would be better served playing cornerback, but needs to sit down and do a gut-check to see if he has the heart to play the game.

2006: Suffered a knee sprain vs. Colorado State (Sept. 30) and missed the next two games vs. Utah State and Hawaii with that injury and also due to a sore hip.

Campus: 4.41 in the 40-yard dash … 300-pound bench press … 470-pound squat … 308-pound power clean … 302-pound hang clean … 38-inch vertical jump … 10-foot-5 broad jump … 35-inch arm length … 10 1/8-inch hands … Right-handed.

Combine: 4.53 in the 40-yard dash … 1.61 10-yard dash … 2.62 20-yard dash … 4.24 20-yard shuttle … 11.6 60-yard shuttle … 7.03 three-cone drill … 38½-inch vertical jump … 10-foot-5 broad jump.

Attended Avenal (Calif.) High School, playing football for head coach Jon Arrendondo … First-team all-star selection as a defensive back by the Fresno Bee during his senior year … Named League Defensive Player of the Year in 2001 … Intercepted 13 passes that season and also excelled on offense, scoring 18 touchdowns and gaining 953 yards receiving … Also returned three kickoffs for scores that season … The two-time all-league choice also garnered all-league accolades in basketball as a junior … Starred on the track squad, reaching the Valley Finals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes during his final year.

Psychology major … Son of Viola and Donnie Williams … Brother, J.D. was a standout All-America cornerback at Fresno State (1986-89) and a 1990 first-round draft choice by the Buffalo Bills. He played in four Super Bowls with the Bills and also played for the Arizona Cardinals, the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers. He was the secondary coach at the University of Washington in 2006, after having spent the previous four seasons as the secondary coach at California. He has also served as an assistant football coach at Fresno State, San Jose State and Cal Poly … Brother, Curtis, was a safety at the University of Washington, but was paralyzed after he broke his neck tackling tailback Kerry Carter in the 2000 Washington-Stanford game. Curtis died 19 months later from complications due to the injury … Born Dec. 2, 1983 … Resides in Avenal, Calif.