Packers Select Running Back Jamaal Williams In 2017 NFL Draft, Round Four
With their fourth-round pick (134th overall) in the 2017 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers select Jamaal Williams, running back, BYU.
With their fourth-round pick (134th overall) in the 2017 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers select Jamaal Williams, running back, BYU.
COMMENTARY:
With the trio of Ty Montgomery, Christine Michael and Don Jackson rounding out the Packers' backfield, not one "top dog" stands out. A "top dog" still doesn't stand out, even with the Williams selection. However, the Packers enhance the competition at running back now as a result of their final fourth-round pick. Williams won't bring eye-popping speed to the Packers, but he's someone who can contribute without question.
Whether or not Williams is there at the end of training camp, on the practice squad or cracking the 53-man roster, the Packers needed to address the running back position after going defense, defense, defense and more defense with their first four picks. Williams was the first offensive skill position
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Zachary Jacobson is a staff writer/reporter for Cheesehead TV. He's the voice of The Leap on iTunes and can be heard on The Scoop KLGR 1490 AM every Saturday morning. He's also a contributor on the Pack-A-Day Podcast. He can be found on Twitter via @ZachAJacobson or contacted through email at [email protected].
Comments (28)
MITM
April 29, 2017 at 12:49 pm
Yessss
Spock
April 29, 2017 at 12:52 pm
Don't know a thing about him other than the commentary above. Seems like the "thunder" to Ty's "lightning". Looking forward to hearing from those of you who follow college ball! A complementary back to go with Montgomery. Offense now after all the defensive picks makes sense.
dobber
April 29, 2017 at 12:56 pm
I think he pushes Don Jackson off the roster. Packers will find another developmental UDFA back to round out a top 4 or to hide on the PS. I'm good with him, Monty and Michael at RB.
HankScorpio
April 29, 2017 at 01:09 pm
I hope they find one of those UDFAs to push Michael off the roster. He sure looked like the kind of player you find on the street mid-season, at least to me.
WKUPackFan
April 29, 2017 at 02:27 pm
UDFA RB? Ace Wales, WKU Hilltoppers. Hey, a guy can dream.
jeremyjjbrown
April 29, 2017 at 01:02 pm
Looking at the highlights out there, this guys looks like a no BS, workhorse runner. One cut, no dancing, nice jumpstep. Looks like Matt Forte a little bit to me.
Nothing against this guy, but I am "meh" about this pick. I don;t know why they draft a running back in the 4th. I was expecting either a late round and/or a couple UDRFA RBs. This draft is loaded at RB and a bunch of guys will fall out of the draft. I expected them to get a OL, or WR which is real need. Or, I think Butt is still their and is a crazy value.
HankScorpio
April 29, 2017 at 01:17 pm
I'm not a big fan of heavy investment at RB. It's a passing league. So in theory I would agree.
But roster is so bad right now, I'm glad they got one this "early" and still think they need more. I don't necessarily want them to spend another pick but I'd sure like them to be aggressive in the post-draft UDFA frenzy at the position. The only guys from 2016 I want to see back are Montgomery and Ripkowski.
chugwater
April 29, 2017 at 02:27 pm
WR is not a need. In a year or two when Jordy moves on, sure, but not now.
That said, appears we took DeAngelo Yancy to add depth.
jeremyjjbrown
April 29, 2017 at 02:49 pm
Yeah, not excited about him either. He is big and has average baseball player like speed so that was good enough to beat up on college cbs. I have seen him play a lot. Never seen him run a crisp route or a good double move, does not have great hands, does not explode off the line. Not sure why they drafted him this high.
HankScorpio
April 29, 2017 at 02:49 pm
It often takes 2-3 years for WRs to develop. If they wait until Jordy is gone, it's too late. I know nothing about DeAngelo Yancy but I sure won't argue with drafting a pass game weapon at the end of rnd 5.
NickPerry
April 29, 2017 at 01:09 pm
Would have rather had Marlin Mack but hey, Williams might work out okay. I would have MUCH rather had Bucky Hodges, Leggett, or Butt, all TE's who could develop into STEALS by next year. Still could use a Guard too.
Hopefully whatever "Personal Problems" this kid had he leaves them at BYU.
jeremyjjbrown
April 29, 2017 at 01:12 pm
Broncos got Butt. He's going to be a huge steal long term. Might even be ready for week 1.
dobber
April 29, 2017 at 01:52 pm
He was caught for underage drinking at BYU...that's akin to you or I dealing heroin in the rest of the world.
Rossonero
April 29, 2017 at 02:12 pm
He also (gasp) had sex at BYU and got in trouble for that. How dare he behave like a college student!
dobber
April 29, 2017 at 02:50 pm
I applied for a faculty job at BYU several years ago. The "covenant" you needed to sign was 4 pages long.
NickPerry
April 29, 2017 at 05:00 pm
LOL...that's funny. I was there in 2001 for 3 weeks of training. We went to eat at Hooters and they monitored the amount of alcohol they could drink (I don't drink) or the amount they'd bring to the table in an hour, something like that. I thought it was pretty strange. Not to mention it kinda sucks for a student.
Bearmeat
April 29, 2017 at 01:20 pm
Dude.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2702414-after-5-years-of-byu-and-its-...
HankScorpio
April 29, 2017 at 01:42 pm
That article sure paints the picture of a hard working, dedicated guy. That's a huge piece of the puzzle for any player.
Rossonero
April 29, 2017 at 02:15 pm
I read this story too when someone texted it to me. The Packers certainly won't have any issues with his work ethic. He just likes to play video games and work out like crazy. His head is in the right place. I'm not worried that he didn't catch a lot of passes at BYU -- leave that to Ty Montgomery.
Even though we don't have a "top dawg" feature back, I like the backfield a lot more now.
Bearmeat
April 29, 2017 at 02:24 pm
It'll be good enough to keep defenses honest. That's not as good as 2013 Phat Ed version, but it'll be good enough when you factor in our passing game.
egbertsouse
April 29, 2017 at 01:56 pm
A "rules violation" at BYU could mean you had a cup of coffee or got to 3rd base with your girlfriend. I don't think this guy will be a problem.
EdsLaces
April 29, 2017 at 01:58 pm
This guy is gonna be legit ...
hybridauth_Facebook_100004084225446
April 29, 2017 at 02:00 pm
Need more then one their will be more RB 's bet !
stockholder
April 29, 2017 at 02:43 pm
I would have rather had perine. Somebody to move the pile. TT must have seen something. Immature , just not enough speed and cutting ability.
MITM
April 29, 2017 at 04:23 pm
The day after the Packers lost Lacy, Bucky Brooks did a segment on NFLN about potential draft replacements at RB. The name he gave was Jamaal. Ever since then i watched him a decent amount from whatever tape I could find and have wanted him ever since.
pooch
April 29, 2017 at 11:15 pm
With our 2 new te's no need to go overboard on runnung backs Williams will workout just fine Dont over think it
EJ
April 30, 2017 at 12:21 pm
While I loved the Packers draft as a whole, this to me was the worst of the Packers draft picks. Williams is a poor athlete when you compare him to other RBs. He's a lighter, slower, less explosive Ty Montgomery. And he has limited receiving experience compared to other RBs available at the time. I don't think the Packers got better at RB yesterday. I would have chosen Jeremy McNichols.
dobber
April 30, 2017 at 12:50 pm
Sure, but the combine drills don't tell you much about anticipation, vision, ball security, or being a pro (the impact of study). He was a very productive runner playing for a decent program. On day 3, he's not a bad choice. It's about preference. I actually like the kid from UTEP better, but that's because I wanted to see more of a quick kind of back.