When the New York Jets drafted Quinnen Williams with the third overall pick in the 2019 draft, they believed the Alabama star had All-Pro potential.
That is exactly what Williams has shown throughout his NFL career.
The 27-year-old has recorded 39 sacks in his six-year tenure with New York. But even more importantly, Williams has become more of a leader than even the Jets could have imagined.
It has some inside the organization expecting a massive year for Williams in 2025.
Jets’ All-Pro In Line For Major Season
It’s not that Quinnen Williams has been bad over the last two seasons. For an interior defensive tackle, 11.5 sacks in two combined years would be excellent for most. He is also third at the position in pressures (124) over that span.
However, after a 12-sack season in 2022 that earned him first-team All-Pro honors, some Jets fans have expected more from New York’s star lineman. Williams himself has explained where he has looked to improve recently on the field.
“I’m still trying to see where I can be my best at and be myself at,” Williams said. “Enjoying learning from my new defensive line coach [Eric Washington], new head coach [Glenn], and new defensive coordinator [Steve Wilks]. Just seeing what they see for me and my future. They’re just telling me what I’m bad at and what I’m good at and trying to get on the right page.”
At the end of the day, though, Williams’ leadership will matter just as much at this stage of his career. It’s something he is focusing on showing as much as his on-field play.
“I was drafted here a long time ago, and I was paid to help change things around,” Williams said. “And I wear that as a badge of honor to make sure that before I leave this game the New York Jets are going to be on top, the New York Jets are going to be the team to watch. … I kind of live that every day, and I want everybody around me to be that.”
Williams is entering a new stage of his career as one of the best defensive tackles in the sport. As he tries to be a key part of the team’s push to end a 14-year playoff drought, Williams is willing to do whatever is necessary to help the team out – on and off the field.
With a new coaching staff and a leadership role he has fully embraced, Williams is in line for a massive season in Year 7.
