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Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: Mississippi State C Darryl Williams

Williams was recruited to Mississippi State out of Bessemer City High School in Alabama, where he was viewed as a four-star prospect at the guard position. He showcased intriguing versatility in high school, playing all five positions on the offensive line for his team.

Once he arrived with the Bulldogs, he’d go on to play no offensive snaps during his first two seasons. He took a redshirt year in 2015. He played in seven games in 2016, but only played on special teams before suffering a neck injury. In 2017, Williams would first establish himself as a starter, playing left guard next to current Chiefs teammate Martinas Rankin, who played left tackle.

By his senior season, Williams was voted in as a team captain by his peers. He earned a number of academic and athletic honors during that span, helping to anchor one of the top offensive lines in the SEC conference.

Stats:

2015: Redshirt

2016: Seven games played.

2017: 13 games played at left guard. PFF Grade: 66.7

2018: 12 games played at left guard. PFF Grade: 71.1

2019: 13 games played at center. PFF Grade: 64.2

Combine/pro day results

Height: 6-2
Weight: 304 pounds
Hands: 9 3/4″
Arms: 32 1/8″
40-yard dash: 5.23
10-yard split: 1.80
225-pound bench: 23
Vertical: 25 1/2″
Broad Jump: 103 inches
20-yard shuttle: 4.76
3-Cone Drill: 7.88

Highlights & Film:

2017

2018

2019

Fit with the Chiefs:

General manager Brett Veach believes that Williams is a player who can have center-guard positional flexibility in Kansas City. Veach also hopes that he can crack the roster and compete early on in his career. Their financial commitment in terms of guaranteed money would indicate they have quite a bit of faith in this player and his ability to contribute.

Williams is a bit undersized compared against what the Chiefs typically look for along the interior offensive line positions. But he also plays bigger than his size. He has a feistiness about him and he’s eager to learn, which is never a bad thing when you’re an undrafted free agent. He told reporters back in May that he wants to go out and impose his will for 60 minutes every time he plays.

In 1,031 pass-blocking snaps over the course of his career at Mississippi State, Williams allowed just two sacks according to Pro Football Focus. As a run blocker, he gets the most movement working on outside and inside zone plays. He’s surprisingly nimble and does a good job latching onto linebackers at the second level. The big area where he struggles is handling power in 1-on-1 situations.

Williams was one of our five most-likely undrafted free agents to make the 53-man roster. Kansas City has a need for competition along the interior offensive line and center is one of their weakest positions. If Williams shows potential during training camp he could find himself in a backup role this season. At worst, I see him as a practice squad player that continues to develop his body in an NFL training program.

Chiefs’ undrafted free agents

Position Player School Article Release Date
QB Shea Patterson Michigan 5/26
WR Maurice Ffrench Pittsburgh 5/28
LB Bryan Wright Cincinnati 6/2
OC Darryl Williams Miss. St. 6/6
CB Hakeem Bailey West Virginia 6/8
P Tommy Townsend Florida 6/15
WR Kalija Lipscomb Vanderbilt 6/17
DB Rodney Clemons SMU 6/20
OT Yasir Durant Missouri 6/22
DE Tershawn Wharton Missouri S&T 6/24
WR Justice Shelton-Mosley Vanderbilt TBA
CB Jalen Julius Ole Miss TBA
WR Aleva Hifo BYU TBA
LB Omari Cobb Marshall TBA
WR Cody White Michigan St. TBA
CB Lavert Hill Michigan TBA
WR Andre Baccelia Washington TBA
OG Jovahn Fair Temple TBA
CB Javaris Davis Auburn TBA

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