Javonte Williams grew up loving football his whole life, but he almost never played college football. Now he's one of the first three picks in the second round of the NFL Draft after the Broncos traded up to No. 35 overall to take Williams.
Through three years of playing linebacker at Wallace-Rose Hill High School in Wallace, N.C., Williams received no FBS offers and seemed destined to hang up his cleats. But his high school coach, Kevin Motsinger, moved him to running back as a senior, and he romped for 2,271 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns.
It was enough to catch North Carolina's attention, and so the 247Sports three-star prospect went to the Tar Heels. He split the rushing workload over the past two seasons with fellow prospect Michael Carter, breaking out in 2020 with 1,140 rush yards on 157 carries and 19 scores on the ground and 305 yards on 25 receptions with three touchdown catches. The year was so impressive that it resulted in the highest rushing grade ever given out by Pro Football Focus for a college running back ever.
Williams turns 21 years old on April 25, a mere four days before the first day of the 2021 NFL Draft.
We're breaking down everything you need to know about Williams from a Fantasy manager perspective, including best fits, Dynasty outlook, measurables, scouting report, key stats and an NFL comparison.
Williams' landing spot isn't a great one for 2021, because Melvin Gordon didn't really give the Broncos any reason to think he shouldn't be the lead back last season. So, Williams likely slips into the Phillip Lindsay role for the Broncos. Last year, that was worth around 11 carries per game, and I would expect something similar for Williams in that role. Which means he'll be Fantasy relevant from Day 1, but not likely a must-start guy.
However, this could be a similar situation to Cam Akers, J.K. Dobbins, and Jonathan Taylor last season, where it took a little while for each of them to become must-start options before all three were key to Fantasy rosters down the stretch. Maybe Melvin Gordon gets hurt. Maybe Gordon just isn't effective. But there will always be a path for a talented running back to get on the field. Life finds a way.
Williams won't be a reliable Fantasy starter from Week 1, but he could be a flex option. I've got him ranked as RB38 right now, with Gordon falling just a little from RB17 to RB19. Williams will probably get pushed up to the top-75 range in drafts, which might be a little rich for my blood, but it's easy to understand why. Ideally, Williams would be an eighth-rounder you could target as your first bench RB or as one of your upside plays in a zero-RB role. But if you're bullish on him, don't be afraid to push him up. -- Chris Towers
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Williams is in a great spot for Dynasty leagues. This Broncos offense has so much talent, that if they can just get decent QB play, they're primed to explode. That QB spot is still a question mark, but Williams should be the long-term answer at RB, with Gordon's contract set to expire at the end of the season. Williams might just be a fringe No. 3 RB in re-draft leagues, but he should be a top-24 RB in Dynasty leagues and a top-seven pick in rookie-only leagues.
(all from 2020)*
While Williams compares himself to Todd Gurley and Alvin Kamara, I see him more as a version of Chris Carson. Both are tough, strong, compact running backs who pick up chunks of yardage after contact and have underrated receiving skills. Williams is readier for the pro game than Carson was when he came out of college, including as a pass protector, which is why it's a cinch he'll get picked far earlier than when Carson got taken. Williams may also be a tad bigger than Carson, not to mention younger.
