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Going into this offseason, the Seattle Seahawks really needed to add depth at the defensive tackle position, and they did just that by taking Alabama defensive tackle Jesse Williams in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Prior to the draft, Williams was projected by most to be a nose tackle in the NFL. While that doesn’t necessarily fit the Seahawks’ 4-3 defensive scheme, he could be used on rushing downs, as the Seahawks like to run a variation of the 4-3 that looks almost like a 3-4 on those downs.
They have three defensive tackles lined up with one of the quicker defensive ends, like a Chris Clemons or a Bruce Irvin playing on the end in somewhat of a linebacker/DE hybrid role. Williams would be an absolutely perfect fit at nose tackle in those situations, especially since his biggest strength is in running situations.
Williams is an excellent run-stopper, so it seems likely that he will see the field quite a bit on first and second downs later in games in order to help contain the run and allow starting defensive tackles Red Bryant and Brandon Mebane to have an opportunity to take a breather. Williams is 6-foot-3 and about 323 pounds, and was said to have bench pressed 600 pounds in college, so his size and incredible strength will make him a big (no pun intended) contributor as a rookie.
I think Williams is capable of not only earning valuable playing time, but also becoming a star on this defense in the future. If Williams can manage to stay healthy, he can really help to make an already intimidating defense even scarier.
Follow Connor Hutyler on Twitter @ConnorHutyler.
