The NFL Scouting Combine is upon us which means NFL head coaches and members of the front office will have an opportunity to get a closer look at potential prospects prior to the draft.
The New England Patriots appear to have a clear vision of what it wants to evaluate this week as it will be meeting a number of the top wide receivers available and one of those players is former Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams.
According to a report from Armando Salguero of OutKick, the Patriots will be meeting with Williams this week along with Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave and Arkansas’ Treylon Burks.
New England currently holds the No. 21 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft with many analysts projecting it to select a wide receiver and all three in the report are expected to be available around its selection.
The Patriots produced a middle-of-the-road passing attack statistically during quarterback Mac Jones’ rookie season, but the team had often been criticized for the lack of a difference-maker or explosive players at the receiver position.
Williams certainly fits the description of a difference-maker when reviewing his one season as a member of the Crimson Tide. After transferring from Ohio State to Alabama, Williams performed like the top receiver in the country as he caught 79 passes for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.
There is one hurdle that needs to be passed ahead of selecting Williams which is the progress of his knee injury. During the national championship game against Georgia, Williams left the game with a knee injury which would later be diagnosed as a torn ACL which has rightfully posed a few questions during his evaluations.
It should be noted that NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported back in January that Williams was ahead of schedule in his recovery.
Regardless of his current status it is well known that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Alabama head coach Nick Saban have a long-standing friendship with Belichick selecting a number of former Crimson Tide players in recent history.
Since Saban took over at Alabama, Belichick has selected a total of eight former Crimson Tide players and Williams will look to make in nine.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
