The Ravens have a secret pass rush weapon in third-round rookie Tim Williams
The Alabama star appears to have landed in the perfect spot, and the Ravens are excited for his future
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6 min read
OWINGS MILLS, MD -- Start asking people around the Baltimore Ravens training camp about third-round pick Tim Williams, and you get a lot of wry smiles in response. There are some knowing looks. An implied wink, if you will.
It's almost as if everyone around here is holding back a little bit. His name is still buried down the official depth chart at defensive end, and he hasn't played a ton in the preseason, but you get the sense this team knows exactly what it has in the talented former Alabama standout, and knows precisely how they plan to use him. They don't want to say too much or give away too much, but I can't help but think the rookie will have an immediate impact on what portends to be a destructive defensive unit.
No one is going to be able run the ball on the Ravens. The secondary, despite some tough injuries, is finally fortified and could be a true strength. And I suspect that Terrell Suggs has a lot more help in the pass rush department this season, with Matt Judon coming off a fine rookie campaign and Za'Darius Smith a potential impact player, but with Williams the ultimate wild card.
Williams, whom some execs believed had top-15 overall talent but whom many teams shied away from due to off-field concerns, is hardly the complete model of a defensive end. He might not ever be great against the run and he still is raw with much to learn, but he's also poised to become a handful as a situational pass rusher from Day 1, and there is no shortage of quiet excitement about the youngster in this camp.
"What he has to offer is exactly what we drafted -- a guy who can come off the edge, who's got a good pass rush," said esteemed defensive coordinator Dean Pees, not one prone to false platitudes, when asked what Williams is poised to display come Week 1. "I think the run game is a little different than what he used to see in college, and it's basically playing almost like an outside backer for us, so it's a little different.
"But as far as pass rush? Pass rush is pass rush; I don't care whether it's college or whether it's pro. And I still see that from Timmy. I think he's got quick twitch, I think he's got a great edge rush ... I think he's what we drafted, and I'm pleased with him."
Pees is a guy who has routinely had to do more with less and expertly concoct blitz schemes. Outside of Suggs, who has battled injuries, and a slowed Elvis Dumervil, who Baltimore moved on from him after 2016, there were no established pass rushers here to speak of. Williams has an innate quickness and ability to get to the quarterback, and while he will have to develop other moves and devices to set up and trick tackles, he also has plenty that can't be taught.
Surely, Pees could implement some plug-and-play calls immediately with Williams in mind, to accentuate what comes naturally and keep out of run-centric situations where opponents might exploit him. Right?
"I can," Pees said, actually almost whispered. Another knowing glance.
Ravens offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg doesn't talk about the other side of the ball all that much, but when asked about Williams' potential when put into certain situations -- see ball; hunt ball -- he couldn't hold back.
"See it and hunt it, I like that," Mornhinweg said. "Yeah, Tim is an excellent pass rusher. I usually don't talk too much about the defense and special teams, but our defense looks pretty good now, huh? ... And he's a heck of a pass rusher. I'm glad he's on our team, along with a dozen other fellows."
Plenty of teams had concerns about Williams' attitude or maturity, or who he might associate with off the field. Hence him ending up in the third round. But the teams that did the most work on him and ran a 3-4 scheme that could accentuate his gifts -- Baltimore and Pittsburgh -- were smitten with him (Mike Tomlin in particular was a big fan).
They believed that in the right atmosphere, with the right veterans around him, Williams would settle in and thrive. They believed he had the potential to be a dominant edge presence at this level. Nobody knows the Alabama program better than Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome, a Hall of Fame tight end from Alabama who is wired in with head coach Nick Saban, and no team spent more time with Williams in the predraft process than Baltimore. They came away convinced he was a good kid at heart and well worth the risk on the second day of the draft.
"I had a lot of meetings with the Ravens, probably over five, and then meetings with Ozzie here and there," Williams told me on my B-More Opinionated Podcast. "Because his son played at Alabama with me, so I used to see Ozzie all the time. So it's like a second home for me."
Williams and his agent, Deryk Gilmore, had a strong handle on which teams were most comfortable with the defensive end, and which were most dedicated to putting a strong core around him and making a concerted effort with support staff and mentors. When the call came from the Ravens on the second day of the draft, it's fair to say the agent and his client were overjoyed.
"It's a blessing to come to a team that has this many vets that I can talk to as a young guy, and lead me down the path so I can learn everything from them," Williams said.
Players could sense Williams opening up and getting more comfortable on the field and off as camp continued, and he's started to translate some of that pass rush he'd flashed at practices into the exhibition games as well.
"Oh yeah, Timmy's flashed, and he's going to keep flashing," said veteran corner Jimmy Smith, who has become one of the voices of this defense. "We need him to be consistent, and he's going to get his opportunities. He's young, and the sky is the limit for that guy."
"I got my first game in the NFL out of the way, and the jitters," Williams said, "and then my second game I had a sack and tackles for losses, so I'm starting to get my feet and get my confidence out there and I'm excited for the next game because I'm not going to have that monkey on my back."
What he may in fact have Saturday is a Buffalo Bills quarterback or two on their backside after gaining the edge with his speed and dexterity. I wouldn't bet against it. Pees is a master, and he hasn't had a guy like this to work with for a while. The cast around Williams on that side of the ball looks plenty legit, too.
I'm not sure what the Ravens are going to look like on offense (I continue to hear starting quarterback Joe Flacco will return to practice next week) and it will likely be a struggle for them moving the football, but at least one side of the ball appears playoff caliber, with this rookie class poised to do its part.
