The Cleveland Browns didn't draft in the first-round in 2019 but they still got a talented player in the second round. The Browns decided to use their 46th overall pick on Greedy Williams out of LSU.
It seems like Cleveland has a newfound love of bringing in guys who went to LSU after trading for Jarvis Landry before last season and Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason.
Williams was ranked as the top cornerback for most of the pre-draft process but fell in the draft. He fell in the draft due to teams questioning his work ethic.
It was also surprising to see the LSU cornerback decide to not schedule any pre-draft visits with any teams. Regardless, Williams has the talent and potential but he'll need to remain focused to stick around in the NFL.
In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Browns selected Denzel Ward with the fourth overall pick. This was after drafting Baker Mayfield with the number one pick in the draft.
Williams will likely have a chance to step into the starting cornerback role opposite Ward. Currently, Terrance Mitchell is slated to be the starting cornerback over Williams.
The rookie cornerback will want to make a statement to every team in the NFL who passed on him in the draft.
Here are three bold predictions for Greedy Williams in his rookie season with the Browns.
3. Start in All 16 Games
Again, Williams is likely going to have to earn his way into the starting role over this offseason. The rookie cornerback will have training camp to prove why he should be the starter instead of Mitchell.
This may not seem like a bold prediction with him being a second-round pick but the question marks surrounding him will need to be erased for him to start.
John Dorsey doesn't tend to hand guys a place in the starting lineup without them earning it. For instance, Mayfield and Nick Chubb both started the season on the bench last season before both ended up being the starters.
Williams will need to show he is ready to handle the responsibility of being a starter on the Browns. Freddie Kitchens and Dorsey will be keeping an eye on Williams to see if he's ready to step into a larger role.
Williams will start in all 16 games after earning a spot in the lineup during training camp.
2. 10+ Pass Deflections
The Browns newly drafted cornerback had a very productive two seasons at LSU. In college, Williams was a very physical corner with his size being key in his skill set.
Over two seasons at LSU, Williams was able to deflect 19 passes. Quarterbacks hated throwing anywhere near the rookie cornerback as it was likely to be broken up.
Last season, Ward was able to deflect 11 passes in his rookie season with the Browns. Williams will have similar success in terms of deflections by getting 10 or more of them in 2019.
At LSU, his career-high in pass deflections is 10 in his redshirt freshman year. He followed that by getting nine of them in 2018.
The Browns new cornerback will continue breaking up passes by getting 10 or more of them in 2019.
1. 4+ Interceptions
Interceptions are the universal way of determining whether or not a cornerback is good or not for fans of the NFL. It's not necessarily a good way of deciphering the talent of a cornerback but it's a decent way to see them making a difference for a team.
For example, Ward managed to reel in three interceptions in his rookie season for Cleveland last year. As a result, the Browns were fifth in the NFL in interceptions with 17 in 2018.
Williams has a chance to make a similar contribution to the interceptions department in 2019. With teams likely avoiding Ward more in his second season, that leaves guys like Williams more opportunities to get interceptions himself.
So what could be a bold prediction for Williams that is also slightly obtainable? Williams will get more interceptions than Ward did in his rookie season and intercept four or more passes in 2019.
Dorsey would be smiling ear to ear, wearing his signature sweatshirt with a button-down shirt underneath if Williams was able to achieve this.
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