WATCH: Kyren Williams draft call from Los Angeles Rams
Every football player growing up has the dream of being drafted into the NFL and to receive that phone call on draft night that seals that particular athlete’s NFL fate. For former Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams, he was able to share that special moment surrounded my his friends and family after being drafted by the Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams.
“Coach, you got the one, I promise,” Williams said to Sean McVay. “… I promise, y’all are going to get everything out of me.”
At just 5-foot-9 and 194 pounds, Williams finished his collegiate career with 419 carries for 2,153 yards and 27 touchdowns over 26 games. He also added 78 receptions for 675 yards and four touchdowns, adding to his versatility and the possibility of becoming somewhat of an all-purpose back at the next level.
“I just pride myself on being a complete back,” Williams said during the pre draft process. “I don’t shy away from contact. I’m not really worried if a back is trying to run me over. I’m just trying to stick my nose in there because that’s the kind of football player that I am. …But I’ve also got a whole lot more that I can do besides that.”
A former four-star plus recruit in the class of 2019, he was the No. 295 overall player in the nation per the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. The St. Louis, Missouri native also ranked as the No. 26 running back and No. 5 player in his home state after playing at St. John Vianney High School.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein broke down Williams’ skills prior to the draft, believing the former Irish star has the attributes necessary to succeed with the Rams.
“Fiery team leader and combative runner who leaves it all out on the field,” wrote Zierlein. “Williams has been a worker bee with a willingness to do the heavy lifting on all three downs and has premium third-down talent both in blitz pickup and as a route-runner out of the backfield. The Patriots’ usage of James White, Dion Lewis and Brandon Bolden might be the blueprint for how to utilize Williams in the NFL.”
Williams, who was selected with the No. 164 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, joined Logan Bruss (OG) and Cobie Durant (CB) as the third selection in the Rams draft class. Other than Bruss and Williams, the Rams decided to focus the rest of the draft on defense, aside from their final selection in the seventh round on offensive lineman A.J. Arcuri.