Hogs Haven
Following the selection of Antonio Williams in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, most of the analysis focused on whether the 5’11”, 187-pound Clemson Tiger could fill Washington’s need on the outside or Z position. Playing primarily in the slot for most of his college career, Adam Peters detailed how he believes Williams can win on both the inside and outside during his Day 2 presser. Debate amongst the media and fan base is ongoing, but there is more to playing wide receiver than just catching the football. Today, we will look at three ways Antonio Williams fits David Blough’s proposed offense that may not have been at the forefront of his evaluation.
Over the last two years, much has been made of how Kliff Kingsbury and the Commanders offense valued run-blocking ability in their wide receivers. A large part of the appeal around former Washington WR Noah Brown revolved around how the big-bodied wide receiver could provide plus blocking inside from the slot and on bubble screens. The smaller Williams is a departure from what we saw the team look for in their wide receivers, but that doesn’t mean Antonio can’t still be effective in the Commanders rushing attack.
The promotion of David Blough brings a philosophy shift in the running game. Kingsbury primarily uses gap concepts with a mix of inside zone, but under Washington’s rookie offensive coordinator, the Commanders offense is expected to utilize more outside zone. The demands on the wide receivers are different, prioritizing securing the outside edge, anticipating and walling off defenders down the field, and sealing defenders in the overhang position out of the slot. These are areas in which Williams excels.
Although PFF ranked him 41st out of 276 qualified Power Four wide receivers, there is plenty of film highlighting Williams’ blocking prowess. Clemson’s offense utilized a mixed approach last season with both gap and zone schemes and was not afraid to use Antonio in-line or on the boundary, so there are examples of his blocking at all three levels of the defense.
Although he doesn’t have the strength or power of a larger wide receiver, Williams wins with anticipation, technique, and tenacity. He isn’t afraid to take on linebackers or edges, and while Antonio will never drive players off the ball inside, he can do enough to wall off defenders and create running lanes for backs to quickly exploit. Getting the job done in the run game means Williams won’t have to come off the field on early downs, and Blough will be able to disguise his plays and utilize the rookie more.
Along with the switch to a wide zone scheme, Blough is also expected to incorporate wide receivers into the ground game using jet sweeps and end-arounds. Blough’s stint in Detroit overlapped Amon-Ra St. Brown’s first season in the NFL when the rookie totaled 7 rushing attempts for 61 yards with an 8.7 yards per attempt average and one touchdown. In his...
