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The NFL Draft is is in the books. Bob Quinn and the Detroit Lions picked plenty of players from big schools with household names. But the Lions also took a few players that may have had fans scratching their heads and pulling up Google on their closest browser.
One of these players is Georgia Southern Linebacker Antwione Williams who the Lions took with the 169th pick. I'll admit it, you can put me on the list of people who didn't know who Williams was. So with that in mind I had to get to the bottom of this pick. The best way to do that was to get in touch with our friends over in Statesboro, Georgia, home of the Georgia Southern Eagles and SB Nation's resident Georgia Southern expert Haisten Willis. Here's what we learned.
POD: What are your thoughts on Williams time at Georgia Southern?
HW: "Williams was a standout player for Georgia Southern who made a major impact. Fans will always remember a huge hit he laid on a running back in our game against Georgia last fall. The player fumbled and it led to a scoop and score touchdown, giving us a 14-7 lead in the third quarter. The Eagles nearly pulled off the upset, and that hit would have been the reason why."
Play 2 - A Huge #ScoopNScore for @GSAthletics_FB#SunBeltTopPlayshttps://t.co/uDKnkCdJr8
— #FunBelt (@SunBelt) December 13, 2015
POD: What is Williams biggest strength?
HW: "I don't have any inside information but I'd have to imagine his intangibles are a major plus. Again, just an easy guy to root for and someone who seems to be a leader, not to mention he did well in the classroom. Williams played all three linebacker spots for us last year and he's not undersized at all at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds. I'd say his biggest strength is his tackling, as you can see in the hit from the UGA game."
POD: What is biggest weakness?
HW: "Williams played for my alma mater so he doesn't have any weaknesses, but if I'm looking for something, it's that he may not be quite as strong in pass coverage as in other areas. Also, even as a fan I've got to admit it'll be a big step up in competition going from a Sun Belt schedule to the NFL. He'll probably need to play special teams at first and work up from there."
POD: Is Williams NFL ready or project?
HW: "Williams is a fifth-rounder and there will definitely be a learning curve for him. That said, he's got the work ethic, size and skill set to make an impact at the next level. Williams said, 'you can't tell me I'm not one of the best LB's in the draft' and he's not the kind of guy I'm going to argue with."