Quinnen Williams was officially crowned one of the best interior defensive linemen in football.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN released his annual defensive tackle rankings and the New York Jets superstar placed No. 4 overall at his position. The panel of voters included coaches, players, league executives, and scouts.
Fowler said the former Alabama product has been “knocking on the door” of the top 10 over the last couple of years but finally broke through in 2022. Williams was listed in the “honorable mention” category in last year’s rankings.
Williams Finally Broke Through for Jets, More to Come
Williams originally entered the league as the No. 3 overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft.
With that came massive expectations that quite frankly he didn’t live up to early in his career.
He battled some injuries missing eight games across his first three seasons. However last year everything clicked for Williams.
Q had a double-digit sack season for the first time (12), nearly tripled his quarterback hits from the previous year (28), and earned an array of national accolades.
That included his first Pro Bowl nomination and first-team All-Pro nod.
“As good as a defensive tackle that I’ve studied coming out of Bama (in 2019) — he was a young guy who needed time to mature,” an NFL scout said via ESPN. “It took him a while, but now it’s clicking and he’s still ascending. When he gets paid, I don’t think he’ll regress. He’s as good as any pass-rusher out there right now.”
Williams-Jets Contract Talks Are Top Storyline Heading Into Camp
Williams has one year left on his rookie deal for $9.5 million. It is the fifth-year option that the team exercised last offseason.
However, the big man is hoping to land a new deal that’ll give him a much-needed raise.
“It’s a beautiful year to be a top-shelf defensive tackle, and a rough year for a team to have to pay one,” Fowler said in a column posted on Sunday, July 9.
That is where we get into some funky territory for the Jets. Technically they don’t “have” to pay Williams because he is still under contract for 2023 and beyond with the power of the franchise tag.
Although it would behoove the Jets to keep one of their best players on the team happy in what is one of the most hyped seasons in Jets history with Aaron Rodgers at the helm.
Fowler reiterated that Williams wants an extension “from the Jets before training camp” and he will “undoubtedly hit a high number” on his new deal.
Williams is only 25 years of age and the panel of ESPN experts believes after he gets paid that he will only get better not go backward.
The last time the Jets had a double-digit sack artist on the defensive line and paid him, it ended horribly.
Muhammad Wilkerson grew up minutes away from the Jets’ training facilities and when he was later selected in the first round of 2011 it seemed like a Hollywood script.
The former Temple product developed in the Jets system racking up 36.5 sacks across five seasons. Fans begged the team to pay him on social media and they did to the tune of $86 million.
Wilkerson immediately regressed on the field and the Jets were forced to cut ties just two years into a massive five-year extension.
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Jets Defender Singled out Ahead of Camp: ‘Knocking on the Door’