2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Antonio Williams (WR – Clemson)

FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in February. Here’s a look at Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams.

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Antonio Williams

Antonio Williams (WR – Clemson)

5-foot-11 – 190 Pounds

Background

Antonio Williams was a four-star recruit who essentially stepped right in as the team’s slot receiver as a true freshman, finishing the season with 56-604-4 (1.08) receiving. Ended up missing most of his sophomore season and redshirting (224 yards in five appearances). Came back and put together his best season yet with 75-904-11 (12.1) in 2024. Caught 55-604-4 (11.0) this past year.

Positives

Productive three-year contributor for a major program. Ran routes to all three levels of the field, with a diverse tree that was pretty representative of slot receivers in general: Screens, hitches, curls, speed outs, slants, overs, etc., primarily within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. Savvy receiver whose extensive experience carries over into his game on the field. Shows good quickness off the line of scrimmage to release against press coverage.

Williams’ suddenness and snap at the route stem created windows for timing-based throws against man coverage. Works in head fakes and leans into the defender at the top of his routes. Doesn’t need to shift down much because of his naturally low center of gravity. Very effective at winning inside leverage and is a fearless receiver over the middle of the field. Knows how to create late separation on deep targets downfield. Has a reliable pair of hands and shows good concentration when working against tight coverage. Shows good agility and competitiveness as a runner after the catch. Has experience as a punt returner.

Negatives

Played on the outside a little bit, but over three-quarters of Williams’ career snaps came out of the slot. May not have the ideal size for an outside receiver role. There seems to be a bit of extra motion to some of his releases. Able to win off the line of scrimmage and create some opportunities as a deep target, especially on double-moves, but doesn’t have the raw speed to blow away defenders. Was primarily an underneath target.

Can sometimes run himself into coverage against zone. Usually a very reliable pair of hands, but dropped eight passes in 2024 and doesn’t offer the biggest catch radius, either. Can struggle to come down with contested catches. Competitive after the catch, but doesn’t offer a ton of power as a runner. When stalking, can sometimes turn into a spectator before the play is over.

Summary

One of the savviest, most experienced receivers in the class, Williams’ intelligence, technique and suddenness give him strong route-running skills, allowing him to provide easy underneath throws and a reliable pair of hands for his quarterback.

While Williams is not the biggest receiver in the class, he should be able to step into a team’s starting slot role sooner rather than later, potentially serving as a primary punt returner as well. Looks like a good bet to come off the board on the second day of the draft.

Projection: Round 2/Round 3