Tennessee Titans select James Williams in seventh round of 2024 NFL Draft

The Tennessee Titans have selected Miami Hurricanes safety James Williams in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Williams spent three seasons playing in the secondary for Miami, most recently helping the team to win seven games and go to the Pinstripe Bowl.

James Williams finished his college career with 162 total tackles, two of which were tackles for a loss. He also had four career interceptions and 13 passes defended to three forced fumbles. That was in 33 career games with Miami.

At the NFL Combine, Williams ran a 4.65 40-yard dash and had a 30-inch vertical jump. He was also measured at six-foot-four and 231lbs.

James Williams played high school football at American Heritage (Florida), where he was a five-star prospect. He was the No. 21 overall recruit in the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

While at Miami, James Williams was named an All-ACC Honorable Mention during his freshman season in 2021. That year, under then head coach Manny Diaz, the Hurricanes went 7-5. It was Diaz’s last season, and he would later be replaced by Mario Cristobal, who led Miami to a record of 12-13 in the final two seasons of Williams’ college tenure.

During the 2023 season, James Williams was a key member of the Miami defense and he led them to the 44th-ranked scoring defense in the country, giving up just 22.8 points per game. The Hurricanes were also the 55th-ranked passing defense in the country, giving up 216 passing yards per game. It was a unit that had 12 interceptions for the season.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about James Williams

Ahead of the NFL Draft, analyst Lance Zierlein of NFL.com broke down what he sees from James Williams.

In his write-up, Zierlein praised James Williams for his athleticism. However, he did question his coverage ability.

“Williams is a physical safety with a long, athletic frame. While it’s fun watching him run and strike from high safety, it is much less fun watching his coverage confusion. He doesn’t see the game as clearly as teams might like right now, but he has the athleticism and cover skills to tighten up the windows on tight ends in man coverage,” Zierlein wrote.

“Williams might need a year to add weight and keep working on his game, but his traits and playing demeanor should earn him a role as a box safety or nickel linebacker.”