New York Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams is tabbed with his new number while Nick Saban labels him “perfect” for the new NFL.
Quinnen Williams’s humility has reached epic proportions thanks to one viral video.
Did @QuinnenWilliams just bless himself and then thank himself? ? pic.twitter.com/Ckz5q8OLGy
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) April 26, 2019
Not only did the New York Jets rookie bless himself, but he thanked himself—two good deeds noticed by the football-loving community. In certain scenarios, thanking one’s self could be considered arrogant, but the involvement of Big Q creates a charm tough to match.
Thus everything Quinnen-related becomes instant Jets news, especially the banter surrounding his professional number.
Williams wore number 92 at Alabama. With the Jets, at least at rookie minicamp, he’ll don the number 95. The organization announced the news on Twitter in style.
.@QuinnenWilliams will rock 9⃣5⃣
? https://t.co/u3JiyVpg3M pic.twitter.com/G32czFOb2s
— New York Jets (@nyjets) May 2, 2019
Williams, 21, is a talent whose attributes earned him the “best player in the 2019 NFL draft pool,” by many. In 15 games a season ago for the Crimson Tide, Williams put forth eight sacks, 71 tackles and an incredible 19.5 for loss.
He’ll immediately slide in as the starting nose tackle under Gregg Williams’s 3-4 defense. Within the 4-3 or four-man line subpackage, he’ll take on the 1-technique role alongside Leonard Williams.
Though not as heavy as a traditional nose tackle (a little over or under 300 pounds, give or take), his athleticism makes him perfect for today’s sideline-to-sideline NFL game. One man who firmly believes the notion is his former collegiate coach, Nick Saban, as told to Andrew Siciliano on NFL Network.
“I think his initial quickness and his ability to use his hands, play with leverage, get off blocks quickly,” Saban told NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano. “He’s athletic, so he’s a really good pass rusher. He’s not a gigantic, huge, overpowering guy, but the rest of it is perfect for this day and age of football. I go back to the initial quickness and the use of his hands. This guy is a really smart, instinctive player. I think sometimes people overlook how that impacts someone’s production and his production here was fabulous.”
The read-option game that swept the NFL during the 2012 season (post-wildcat) is ancient history. While it’s still sprinkled in at times, the edge-pressure offensive schemes now mainly come in the form of the jet sweep. An athletic 1-technique type (like Aaron Donald and Big Q) who can chase down east-west designs from the weak side is a critical part of today’s rush defense.
New York Jets rookie minicamp gets rolling on Friday, May 10. It’ll last until Sunday and Quinnen Williams, wearing No. 95, will surely be there with all eyes hypnotized.
