Quinnen Williams will likely be the only NY Jets player to appear in Pro Football Network’s Top 100 players, coming in at No. 78.
Add Pro Football Network to the list of gridiron outlets that are commemorating the Quinnen Williams revolution with summer accolades.
With the New York Jets coming off a two-win season, it would probably be foolhardy to assume their players, even from the plethora of talented newcomers, would appear on any top 100 player lists.
Williams, however, is a welcome green exception, as the defensive lineman comes in at No. 78 on PFN’s top 100, curated by Dalton Miller. He’s the only Jets representative on the list, though that’s up from the goose egg on last year’s list (Jamal Adams was No. 20 but was traded to Seattle shortly after the list’s release).
Set to enter his third season in green, Williams is sandwiched in the list by Vikings receiver Adam Thielen and Browns lineman Wyatt Teller. Like many, Miller was impressed by Williams’ sophomore recovery after struggling in his debut year.
“Williams didn’t have the same fiery start (Nick) Bosa had as a rookie,” Miller writes. “Many quickly started whispering about a “bust” after just one season. (But) Williams quieted all of that in 2020, tallying seven sacks from the interior.”
“His lateral agility and flexibility allow him to make plays well outside his frame. He also uses that agility well with his hands to cross the face of blockers and rip through as a pass rusher.”
Though Williams has dealt with a foot injury that has kept him out of most offseason activities thus far in 2021, many expect the third pick of the 2019 draft to continue delivering on the promise displayed last season. His efforts helped put the Jets among the top ten defensive lines in football, according to Pro Football Focus, and he also appeared on the defensive side of CBS’ Under 25 team.
Los Angeles Rams defender Aaron Donald tops the list for the second consecutive season, while Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, T.J. Watt, and Deshaun Watson round out the top five.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
