Ian Williams Scouting Report

Even for a defensive tackle, Ian Williams did not put up huge numbers during his collegiate career at Notre Dame. He is an athletic player who can move the opposing line and help his teammates make plays. By the end of his freshman season Williams earned a starting job and was a part-time starter for the rest of his career. It was during his freshman campaign when Williams made a name for himself by tallying 45 tackles. His tackle numbers decreased in 2008, down to 40, but the opposition was also starting to key in on him and make other people make plays.

The tackle number slipped again during Williams' junior year, this time down to 39. However, he did do a better job of getting into the backfield and six of those tackles went for a loss. The trend of not making as many tackles continued into 2010. This time the lack of tackles was in part due to the fact that he missed four games with an injury.

The tackle totals should not concern NFL teams. When Williams was garnering more attention from the opposing offensive line, he still made a huge impact on the game. It may not have shown up in the box score, but it was there. Any team looking for a nose tackle with experience in a 3-4 scheme should be lucky to nab Williams in the third round.