Green Bay Packers film room: Breaking down fourth round pick Jamaal Williams

Jamaal Williams trait #1: Runs through contact

Williams’ ability to consistently run through contact and punish defenders is nothing short of impressive.

It is easily one of my favorite parts of his game, and even though he only weighs around 215 pounds, Williams runs like a big, imposing back who can wear down a defense.

Consider this play from the Arizona game. While this run was called back because of an illegal shift penalty and didn’t count on the stat sheet, it is still impressive.

I love how Williams lowers his shoulder at the point of contact and keeps his legs driving to fight for extra yards.

It’s some tough running by No. 21, but he also shows nifty footwork and balance to keep the play alive and bounce off tacklers.

Here’s another great play by Williams that really shows how tough of a football player he is.

Against Utah, Williams takes a simple check down pass and turns it into an 11-yard gain.

Like the previous clip, Williams keeps his legs driving through contact, which enables him to drag a defender seven yards for the first down.

On the stat sheet this looks like a routine 11-yard reception, but it is one of the more impressive plays from Williams’ film.

The lower body strength and grit he demonstrates to carry a defender seven yards upfield, while refusing to go down shows just how powerful of a runner he can be.

Another impressive part of Williams’ game is his strong stiff arm. He uses it frequently in the open field to ward off defenders and gain a few extra yards.

In this clip Williams runs through the arm tackle of the Toledo linebacker and then as he breaks free downfield he throws off the defensive back with a stiff arm.

Though this is just one example, plays like this are a frequent occurrence in Williams’ game film.

Finally, one of the reasons I love Williams’ game is he is absolutely relentless on the field. He runs hard even on the most routine plays, and he never takes a play off.

Take this clip against Michigan State, for example. Williams is hit at the line of scrimmage, but he still manages to gain nine yards on the play.

Williams is contacted by seven defenders before finally getting pushed out of bounds at the three yard line.

He’s a tough runner who shows exemplary balance and determination to stay on his feet. Too often college halfbacks his size go down with initial contact, but there’s no quit in Williams.

His ability to fall forward and gain extra yards after contact will bring a physical presence to the Packers backfield.