Five potential NFL landing spots for Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams
Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams was the only Notre Dame player to participate in the NFL Combine on Friday, and he did so with mixed results. Williams is an expected Day 2 or 3 draft selection when the NFL Draft starts April 28, although he still has a pro day coming up on March 25.
With a combine performance behind him (and a comprehensive look at his performance here), where might Williams land? Here are a few teams in the market for a running back.
The teams are listed in alphabetical order.
Houston Texans
The Texans need pretty much everything when it comes to the draft, including a running back. They averaged an NFL-worst 83.6 rushing yards per game last season, and their leading rusher was Rex Burkhead. He had just 427 yards. The Texans may elect to grab one of the top couple of running back prospects out there, but they also could wait given the recent move toward taking running backs in later rounds. If the time is right, Williams might be a good choice to provide a spark for a franchise that badly needs it.
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Miami Dolphins
Like the Texans, the Dolphins had one of the worst run games in the league in 2021. Top back Myles Gaskin saw the field in all 17 games, but he failed to get much going, finishing with just 612 yards and averaging 3.5 yards per attempt. With new head coach Mike McDaniel at the helm, you can expect the play calling to get extravagant in Miami next season. Williams — an all-purpose magician — is a perfect fit. Think of it as an inverse Deebo Samuel.
New England Patriots
Williams spoke with the Patriots at the NFL Combine this week per Boston.com, signaling they are certainly interested is adding them to their rushing room. Last season, despite already having five running backs on the team, New England took Rhamondre Stevenson in the fourth round. Would they take the same approach with Williams come April?
Seattle Seahawks
Running back Rashaad Penny is a free agent, and there’s no guarantee he will be back in Seattle next season. Veteran Alex Collins is also in that boat. The Seahawks have Chris Carson, but he’s recovering from a neck surgery that ended his 2021 season. They could use an RB2 to pair with Carson has he works toward 2022. Seattle does not have a first round pick this year, but they could go for Williams in a middle round.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs reportedly have their eye on Florida running back Dameon Pierce, but it’s hard to determine who will be available when they have a shot to grab a new rusher. One thing is for sure: they certainly need someone, as their top-two backs (Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II) and their No. 4 (Giovani Bernard) are all free agents. The Bucs could re-sign some of those players or they could look for new blood as they recreate the offense without Tom Brady.
