The comparison was made immediately because one man drafted both players. When Mike Shanahan was in Denver, the last first-round pick he made was on left tackle Ryan Clady with the 11th overall pick. It was a mild gamble because he’d played collegiately at a smaller Division I program, Boise State and there were some minor concerns about his immaturity level. He was also considered a top athlete.
Thursday night, Shanahan picked Oklahoma’s Trent Williams, another left tackle. He, too, is athletic. And he, too, is a gamble because of what many consider red flags over his attitude and work ethic.
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But I’m not sure I buy the comparisons. One GM said they don’t compare as much as people think because, he said, Williams “is more of a guard who can play tackle because of his athleticism.” He also spent three years at right tackle and did not overhwhelm this past year at left tackle, whether because of injuries or inexperience. The GM said Clady, who entered college as a defensive lineman, was considered a legit left tackle in college.
Like Williams, Clady was long on potential coming out. In fact, Pro Football Weekly’s draft guide described him as having “a ton of untapped potential.” Williams was drafted not because of his production, but because of his potential. Here’s a detailed scouting report on him.
(By the way, Shanahan said Clady was the only other tackle he’d picked in the first round. But he took George Foster in 2003; Shanahan said Foster had the size and speed they were looking for. He did not produce. Now, back to the original comparison).
Clady incidentally, is now a Pro Bowler.
Shanahan said he sees some similarities.
“Speed, quickness, size,” he said. “A lot of the things you look for. You have to watch people play. Ryan proved very quickly that he [belonged] in the NFL. Hopefully Trent can do the same thing.”
Williams, by the way, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.88 seconds; Clady, considered an excellent athlete, ran it in 5.1 seconds. Agility and quickness mean more than a sprint for a lineman, but it’s indicative of the sort of athleticism Williams possesses.
“There aren’t many athletes that are 315 pounds that run int he 4.8 range,” Shanahan said. “That shows the type of athleticism we’re looking for. A very agile offensive tackle is something we look for. Sometimes it’s hard to find unless you do pick in the first round. We think we found a guy that can really help us.”
Whether or not he’ll repeat Clady’s success now depends on if the red flags are accurate. Maintaining his weight was an issue for some; how he’ll handle money and fame is an issue for others; and how he’ll work is on the list for most. Shanahan said he spoke with Sooners coach Bob Stoops about Williams.
“Bob Stoops guaranteed me that he’s one of the best workers he had and that you’ll be very proud of him,” Shanahan said. “If we didn’t feel strongly [that he’d be fine] then we wouldn’t have picked him with the fourth pick in the draft.”
Shanahan got it right with Clady. Time will tell on Williams.
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