Herm Edwards: DB Brandon Williams will be ready to play
Jul 29, 2016, 6:00 AM
Arizona Cardinals' Brandon Williams (26) runs a drill during NFL football practice, Tuesday, May 24, 2016, at the team's training facility in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
With Justin Bethel on the PUP list to start training camp, the Arizona Cardinals’ depth at cornerback is thin, but according to ESPN Analyst Herm Edwards, rookie Brandon Williams could be in line to fight for playing time and potentially the starting job.
Edwards believes the 2016 third-round pick out of Texas A&M has found a good home with Arizona and he has the ability to make a difference come game time.
“He’s a raw guy, but he’s big, he’s strong, you know now all of a sudden, if he can come along, I mean you got two big, physical corners,” Edwards said on the Doug and Wolf Show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “Patrick Peterson’s one of the best corners in the league and now this kid, you know, he’s a big, physical guy too.”
At Texas A&M, Williams started on the other side of the ball as a running back, but made the move to cornerback in 2015. He had 34 tackles, including four tackles for loss and seven passes defensed.
Even though he hasn’t played multiple years at the position, Williams is already turning heads with the Cardinals.
When asked if it was realistic to see Williams as a starter this year, Edwards noted that he has the traits and the coaching staff that can get him on the field.
“I always say this, you listen with your eyes and you watch the guys out there when they practice,” Edwards said. “If he’s covering the receivers they have and Kevin Ross I know is the secondary guy — you know I coached Kevin when he was in Kansas City, excellent football coach — you know he will get him ready to play.
“I don’t know if he’ll be the starter, but he’s got some talent, he can run, he’s physical,” he said. “If he can play bump and run, Kevin knows how to teach that very well.”
