Antonio the Anomaly?

By: Josh Frey-Sam

It’s not every year that a non-first-round pick overcomes the odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Dak Prescott was the last to do it in 2016 as a fourth-round pick. Before him was a whole 13 years prior when second-round pick Anquan Boldin won it in 2003 with the Arizona Cardinals. The only other instance was sixth-round selection Mike Anderson, who took it home in 2000 as a member of the Denver Broncos.

That’s to say, it rarely happens.

And yet, I find myself compelled by the opportunity that Washington Commanders rookie WR Antonio Williams has to be the latest long shot to win the award.

Williams was drafted in the third round out of Clemson this year. His numbers won’t blow anyone away, in part because he was on a Tigers offence that struggled mightily last season. His stock also likely dropped because he’s had a history of hamstring injuries.

But he did prove to be a guy every time the ball was thrown his way, posting a solid 2.27 yards per route run, which ranked 59th in the country among players who were targeted at least 60 times.

The easy comparison to make is Amon-Ra St. Brown: a tough-as-nails pass-catcher with excellent separating ability, a knack for finding the soft spot in a defence and a gift for creating yards after the catch.

So, it’s no surprise that the Commanders, in need of a legitimate weapon opposite Terry McLaurin, selected Williams to join first-year offensive co-ordinator David Blough’s scheme — which, oh by the way, is directly rooted in his time spent with Ben Johnson and the Detroit Lions.

I’m a fan of Williams, and I’m intrigued by his chances of making an immediate impact because of where he landed.

The Commanders have McLaurin and then a ton of question marks behind him.

Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown, Van Jefferson and Jaylin Lane don’t exactly profile as the high-upside playmakers that the team is looking for.

The Commanders are a team that could still sign a veteran WR. They’ve been linked to Brandon Aiyuk for much of the off-season, but Aiyuk’s recent rift with Jayden Daniels on social media has made it look like the door is closing on that actually coming to fruition.

There’s a real chance that Williams could open this season as the unquestioned No. 2 option in the WR room, and if that happens, he should get a ton of looks right off the bat.

In his rookie year — albeit under a different play-caller — Daniels ranked eighth among all quarterbacks with 160 targets to the slot WR, which accounted for 34.71 per cent of his passes.

Williams played almost exclusively out of the slot at Clemson, and with his 5-11, 190-pound frame, I would expect the same in the NFL.

If he is, in fact, cut from a similar cloth as St. Brown, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him used in the same way and lead all rookies in receptions.

I placed a small wager earlier this week on Williams to win OROY at 31-1 odds.

And to bring it all around to fantasy football, he is a player I am actively targeting in dynasty leagues and at the end of my redraft league drafts.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh