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Is Leonard Williams a Necessity for Jags, Titans in the AFC South?

By Luke Sims | Apr 4, 2015

Leonard Williams is the crown jewel of the NFL Draft. He is the best overall player and the only reason he isn’t widely considered for the top overall pick is because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need a quarterback.

If we move past Jameis Winston and the Bucs at first overall, we see two teams that need Leonard Williams: The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans.

This isn’t to say there aren’t other needs for the Jaguars and Titans. The Titans could use the second overall pick on a quarterback (Marcus Mariota being the other viable first round quarterback in the 2015 NFL Draft) and the Jaguars could fill a need at pass rusher, having two solid defensive tackles already locked up as future foundation pieces of the team.

Yet in the AFC South, Williams may have suddenly gone from a very good pick to a necessity.

The AFC South features one incredible quarterback in the Indianapolis Colts’ Andrew Luck. The only team that is able to challenge the Colts’ supremacy right now is the Houston Texans behind the standout play of defensive end J.J. Watt. (Or should we say tight end? Renaissance man?) Despite not having a quality quarterback, the Texans are challenging.

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To combat Luck, the Texans, Titans, and Jaguars should all be bolstering their defense. Pass rush and secondary become major priorities in the AFC South and they deserve to be so. Leonard Williams isn’t considered a dedicated pass rusher and he certainly doesn’t play in the defensive backfield. He is, however, a rare talent that can control the offensive line from the interior of the defensive line and that is incredibly tough to find.

Williams is also capable of being moved along the line to find the most successful position for him and his team. He’s athletic enough to take on multiple roles and he’s experienced enough to be successful in those roles.

With the Titans and Jaguars sitting at number two and three overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Colts have got to be sweating. One of the two is likely to add Williams to their roster and then they will become much tougher to pass against. For a team that relies on the golden arm of Andrew Luck, this is a daunting prospect. No insurmountable, but daunting.

For the Titans and Jaguars, it’s downright pleasing.

The big hurdle to drafting Leonard Williams for the Titans and Jaguars is need. The Titans need a quarterback and the Jaguars need a dedicated pass rusher. With talents like Marcus Mariota, Dante Fowler Jr., and Vic Beasley available it will be tough for both teams to overlook a seemingly perfect marriage of need and talent at their early draft slots.

To me, the Titans seem like the more likely spot for Leonard William to land. Zach Mettenberger is a serviceable quarterback and deserves a chance to prove himself. They could use help at defensive tackle. Williams would come in and immediately turn their defensive line into a formidable force.

The Jaguars seem less likely. With Sen’Derrick Marks, Roy Miller, and Jared Odrick locked up as a strong rotation the need at defensive tackle is virtually non-existent. The need of a dedicated pass rusher is far more obvious. Williams would likely be the most talented player on the defensive line, but he wouldn’t really give the team something they don’t already have. They don’t have a dedicated pass rusher.

Bringing in Williams to the AFC South may be the best way to unseat the Indianapolis Colts, however. The need to surpass Indy may trump all other positional needs for both teams. Personally, I would be shocked to see him reach fourth overall. The Titans and Jaguars will have a lot to think about when they see him still available and the clock starts ticking.

Next: DT Sen'Derrick Marks takes a shot at the NFL

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