Williams’ athleticism allows him to make up for mistakes on line
ASHBURN – Chris Foerster sees it. Brian Orakpo thinks it. Trent Williams is beaten, whether by Orakpo or someone else, and the quarterback is in trouble.
Then Foerster sees something else. Orakpo thinks something else. And Williams no is longer beaten; the quarterback no longer is in trouble.
“He has one of the best recoveries of any player I’ve ever coached,” said Foerster, the Redskins’ offensive line coach. “This kid has an unusual set of skills. I’ve never coached a guy who ran that fast.”
As Williams prepares for his first NFL preseason game, one thing is clear: The fourth overall pick in the draft can play. He’s drawing praise similar to what Orakpo received last summer. Part of that stems from his ability to recover from bad situations thanks to rare athleticism for a left tackle.
“He’s a beast, man,” Orakpo said. “He has feet like a tight end and power like an offensive lineman.”
“He’ll be great,” said his predecessor, Chris Samuels.
Williams has yet to go against an opposing end or linebacker. But he has shown what the Redskins had hoped from his footwork to his hands and his running ability. The only knock on him before the draft remains the only question now: Will he prepare for games better than he did in college? Nobody knows, though the Redskins were pleased that he asked for film earlier this summer of their upcoming opponents. He also has watched film of numerous tackles around the league (as well as his teammates). And he’s talked with Redskins defensive linemen about not tipping off plays with his stance or his eyes.
But it’s his athleticism that draws rave reviews — and shows up when he appears to get beaten.
“He has those long arms where he can recover,” Orakpo said. “That goes back to his athleticism. If he does get beat, he does a great job of running you past the quarterback, and it’s not a big deal. He recovers quicker than most tackles.”
Williams, who played at Oklahoma, credits footwork honed through his basketball days.
“And anytime I feel I get beat I always get nervous, so it’s like a scramble to get back into position,” he said.
It also helps Williams to talk with Samuels daily. The former Redskins tackle watched one tape of Williams running a shuttle drill this offseason and was convinced he would succeed simply because of his athleticism. That’s not all.
“He has really fast feet, but he also bends well on bull rushes,” Samuels said.
But Foerster and even Williams are quick to note the “little details” he must perfect. Believe it or not, Williams has been beaten on some rushes. So far, however, the coaches are pleased with what they’ve seen. Not that Williams is paying attention to what they or others are saying about him.
“I don’t even look at that,” Williams said. “I couldn’t tell you a quote or anything good anybody has said. I’m just trying to bury myself in football and not worry about that stuff. I’m having a lot of fun.”
