Quinnen Williams was the best player in college football in 2018 after serving as a backup behind Da'Ron Payne the season before. Payne was a first-round pick and Williams is not only a first-round talent but legitimately a first-overall-type player. 

College career

Williams redshirted his freshman season and played in nine games as a sophomore in 2017 where he had two sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. In 2018, Williams had a breakout campaign and totaled eight sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss.

Among all FBS defensive linemen, Williams ranked first in Pro Football Focus' pass-rush productivity metric. He was also first in run stop percentage.

Combine/pro day results

MeasurementResult

Height:

6-foot-3

Weight:

303 pounds

Arms:

33 1/4 inches

Hands:

9 5/8 inches

WorkoutResult

40-yard dash:

4.83

Bench press:

--

Vertical jump:

30.5

Broad jump:

112.0

3-cone drill:

7.01

20-yard shuttle:

--

60-yard shuttle:

--

A finger injury kept Williams from performing any additional on-field drills at his pro day. Here he is running the 40 at the combine:

Strengths/weaknesses

Strengths: Williams has one of the quickest first steps in this draft class. He was perpetually in  the backfield last season, blowing up the run and pass game. He's a pocket-collapser with unmatched athleticism who regularly defeats double-teams and has a legit case to be the first player taken in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Weaknesses: There are few holes in Williams' game. He didn't burst onto the scene until last season but that was because he was behind 2018 first-rounder Da'Ron Payne. 

NFL comparison

From CBS Sports NFL draft analyst Chris Trapasso:

Marcell Dareus. Dareus was a little bigger as a prospect than Williams is now, yet the two Alabama stars have eerily similar skill sets. Like Dareus, Williams is a freak of nature athletically given his frame. Scraping down the line of scrimmage is a piece of cake for him, and once he zeroes in on the quarterback, he has excellent closing speed. Dareus wasn't the No. 3 overall pick in 2011 simply because he was big and athletic. He entered the NFL with a heavy-handed tool box of pass-rushing moves. Williams will do the same. That combination -- size, athleticism, strong hand work -- indicates Williams should acclimate to the pro game instantly and provide the team that drafts him a stellar run stopper and pass rusher. 

NFL teams in play to draft Williams

Cardinals: Yes, Arizona appears to be in the Kyler Murray business but if not, Williams has a strong case as the best player in this draft. Nick Bosa also had a case but no one would fault GM Steve Keim for selecting Williams over Bosa.

49ers: San Francisco needs an edge rusher more than an interior linemen -- they've taken a defensive lineman in Round 1 in three of the last four drafts -- but they also added Dee Ford this offseason and Williams is a difference maker wherever you line him up.

Jets: New York also needs help at pass rusher but like the Cardinals and 49ers in front of them, Williams' talent transcends position.

Raiders: This may sound familiar but Oakland also needs pass-rush reinforcements; the team traded Khalil Mack before the season and cut Bruce Irvin during the season. Williams isn't an edge rusher but he's a special talent. Plus, Oakland could address their pass-rush needs with one of their two remaining first-rounders. 

Buccaneers: Tampa Bay needs a linebacker and offensive linemen, but they need defensive line help too, especially since it's unclear whether Gerald McCoy will be with the team beyond the 2019 season.

Giants: The Giants have the No. 6 and No. 17 picks in Round 1. There has been some conversation of them targeting an edge rusher with the first first-rounder, but if by some miracle Williams is still on the board New York would have to think long and hard about taking him.