N.C. State standout measures up well
Williams' athleticism wows scouts
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Feb. 27, 2006
Indianapolis - When they start comparing you to Reggie White, you know you've made your presence felt.
Mario Williams of N.C. State goes through drills Monday in Indianapolis.
"God didn't make too many guys like that," Tennessee Titans defensive line coach Jim Washburn said about Williams after observing his workout at the RCA Dome. "I don't know how in the world he can stay on the board too long."
Williams, who just turned 21 in January, put up numbers that National Football League scouts will remember for years.
Perhaps his most eye-popping feat was the 40-inch vertical jump. Julius Peppers, the defensive end compared most often to Williams, posted a 36½-inch vertical in 2002.
Williams also bench-pressed 225 pounds a total of 35 times.
"Thirty-five is like the top five in the whole combine," Tampa Bay defensive line coach Jethro Franklin said. "With his long arms there's longer to go. When you got short arms it's a shorter distance. He's phenomenal."
In his two 40-yard dashes on the FieldTurf surface, the consensus of scouts was that Williams ran 4.71 and 4.72 seconds. Peppers, 6 feet 6 inches and 282 pounds, ran 4.75.
Williams, 6-7 and 295, also had 7.6% body fat. Peppers had 6%.
"Incredible," St. Louis Rams general manager Charley Armey said. "What can I say? He's everything you're looking for. He showed it all out here today. The athletic ability, the mental toughness to come here and compete when you're an elite player. There's not much negative on this kid."
Armey was general manager of the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League in the mid-1980s when a rookie defensive end by the name of Reggie White signed with the team.
"You have to go all the way back to Reggie White," Armey said. "Reggie probably ran 4.80, 4.82."
Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes coached White, 6-5 and 300, in 1993 as defensive coordinator of the Packers.
"He's not as big as Reggie," Rhodes said. "But I'll tell you what, he looks extremely good on the hoof. Extremely good. He's one of those guys you'd like to take with you right now."
Packers GM Ted Thompson, who could be in position to take Williams at No. 5, was all eyes because, as with all junior players, he didn't know that much about Williams' personality and competitiveness entering the weekend.
"We had a good interview with him," Thompson said. "He seemed confident and ready for it. He seems mentally in tune with what's going to happen. It was a very competitive defensive-line group and he did fine."
Now the defensive lines coaches will head home to watch more tape of Williams.
"I saw a little bit last week and he moved like a little guy," Buffalo Bills defensive line coach Bill Kollar said. "You'd say he was 6-3, 6-4 and 265 or something. I was shocked when here he was 6-7, 295. He's so lean. I imagine he could probably weigh 320. He's got big, broad shoulders."
Williams met with the Bills and impressed Kollar as a "real good kid." In a mass media interview Saturday, Williams also came across well.
"You hear everybody talk about Lambeau Field," Williams said. "It would be a great feeling. I just feel like if I go there. . . . whatever they want me to do, it really doesn't matter. It's all about team."
Manny Lawson (6-5, 241), the right end at North Carolina State opposite Williams, also wowed scouts Monday with a 4.41 timing. Florida State defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley ran about 4.95 and had 44 reps on the bench press.
On Monday morning, Maryland's Vernon Davis (6-3, 254) might have moved into the top 10 picks with one of the greatest workouts ever by a tight end at the combine. His 40 time of 4.38 was far faster than the runner-up, Western Michigan's Tony Scheffler (4.54), and one of the fastest ever by a legitimate tight end.
"It's a remarkable time," Thompson said. "He's a good player, too."
Two of the 21 tight ends invited to the combine, the Wisconsin tandem of Owen Daniels (6-3½, 253) and Jason Pociask (6-3, 266), also fared well. Daniels ran 4.63. Pociask ran 4.76, had a 32-inch vertical jump and did 24 reps on the bench. Daniels ran 4.69 last spring in Madison.
"They were better than I thought," Armey said. "Daniels was more fluid, more natural. Pociask was a bit more mechanical. But both did really good in the workout."
After the workout, Pociask and Tulsa's Garrett Mills worked out as fullbacks at the request of several teams. One scout said Pociask's draft status improved when the Badgers played him extensively in the backfield against Auburn.
Last March, Daniels scored 32 on the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test and Pociask scored 31.
"They both caught the ball well," Thompson said. "Daniels is very athletic. Pociask is bigger, stronger, more of a blocker kind of guy."
One scout predicted that Daniels would go in the third or fourth round and that Pociask would go late in the fifth.
Daniels' time was almost as fast as running back Brian Calhoun's on Saturday. One scout theorized that Calhoun (5-9, 201) has gained too much weight in the last year and should try to drop at least 5 pounds before his critical re-timing on March 8 in Madison.
Niners not going to screw this one up (i hope not at least)!!!!!
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