Denver Broncos: 3 things I like, 3 things I question from 2021 NFL Draft

What I Questioned: The Seth Williams Pick

While I believe George Paton had a quality draft from top to bottom, one pick stands out to me as being unnecessary: Seth Williams, wide receiver from Auburn.

Williams is an intriguing prospect who has excellent size and body control to be a big-bodied possession receiver. At 6-foot-3, 211 pounds, Williams has the size and body control to dominate the catch point down the field but struggled with drops throughout his time at Auburn including 8 dropped passes on 50 catchable passes in 2020, per NBCSports.

Williams will likely see a majority of his snaps on special teams during his rookie season and could be a key contributor and well worth a 6th round pick. But with a loaded receiver room, the decision to grab Williams seems like an odd one. Perhaps Paton is preparing for life without Tim Patrick?

Patrick has been an excellent story in his time with the Denver Broncos. Patrick was an undrafted free agent from Utah and earned his way onto the Broncos’ roster through a futures contract. From there, he worked his way up the ranks to earn playing time as a wide receiver before ultimately breaking out during the 2020 season.

With Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and KJ Hamler all seemingly in the Broncos’ immediate plans, perhaps trading Tim Patrick during the 2021 NFL Season would be best for both sides. With Patrick elsewhere in the NFL, young players like Williams and Tyrie Cleveland would have a strong opportunity to see playing time.

Williams may simply have been the highest-rated player on Paton’s draft board. After all, the traits are certainly there for Williams to develop into the big-bodied receivers the Broncos value. We will see where Williams slots into the Broncos’ plans this season.