NFL Draft 2017: Could Tim Williams fall out of the first round?

Alabama pass rusher Tim Williams is one of the best edge players in the NFL Draft class, but his off the field issues could drop his stock farther than expected.

Tim Williams is one of the NFL Draft’s best pass rushers available, but the Alabama product has seen plenty of off-the-field issues in his collegiate career. As he goes through the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Williams is doing the best thing he can do: be honest with every team. But the evidence still stacks up.

Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports writes that Williams is being up front about his issues, even as he discloses new ones that he had several failed drug tests while at Alabama. In addition to an arrest for carrying a gun without a pistol, Williams was also found with marijuana. Will this affect his draft stock? Edholm says teams he’s spoken to have been reticent to connect him to Randy Gregory, which bodes well for his stock.

Williams has also taken to Twitter to share a bit of his perspective:

At the NFL Combine, Williams even said that his college coach would vouch for him. When asked what Nick Saban would say about him, he replied, “Tim Williams never lied to me. That’s one thing my coach knows. I’m an honest guy. I always tell the truth.”

Williams had 18.5 sacks in the last two years at Alabama, and profiles as a solid edge rusher with just one year experience playing as a three-down outside linebacker. While he will take some further work to adjust at the NFL level as an every down player, he’s pro-ready at rushing the quarterback. That alone should make him a first-round choice, but what about all of these issues?

Mike Mayock has Williams listed as his No. 2 edge rusher in the draft, generally a ranking that will make him a lock for the top 10 selections. However, these legal issues could drop him a bit. One recent mock draft had him falling to the Chiefs at No. 27 overall, but that’s farther than most might expect. Out of the first round entirely? It’s possible, but that means that Williams’ honestly campaign isn’t working in the end.