Second in a series analyzing potential draft picks for the Raiders, scheduled to select at No. 8 in the first round on April 22:
Position: Tackle.
Height, weight: 6-5, 315 pounds
College: Oklahoma
Why it’s Williams: He’s nearly as athletic as combine god Bruce Campbell with the added bonus of being productive in college. Williams ran a 4.88 40-yard dash in Indianapolis, had the second best vertical jump and was the fastest lineman in the shuttle. A right tackle for three years with Oklahoma, he became a left tackle in his senior year and ended up a consensus All-American after a slow start (Sam Bradford injured his shoulder on Williams’ watch). Could be plugged in as the right side starter on Day 1 and eventually move to the left. Versatile enough to have played center in a pinch.
Why it’s not Williams: One scouting report labeled Williams as only “adequate” moving his feet in zone blocks _ a problem if the Raiders continue to be an exclusively zone blocking team. There’s a chance Williams will not even be around when the Raiders pick at No. 8, with the Seahawks on the lookout for a replacement for Walter Jones.
Quotable: “Pass blocking, my athleticism, staying in front of people. That’s dating back to when I played basketball.That kind of led to a lot on the field. But I can get better at both,” Williams at the NFL combine, asked if his strength was pass blocking or run blocking.
Draft prospect: Trent Williams - Inside the Oakland Raiders - A look inside the world of the highly classified Oakland Raiders from the writers of Bay Area News Group