Charlie Campbell from WalterFootball.com has reported that Alabama defensive end Tim Williams has “failed many drug tests” and that his serious substance abuse issues are very similar to those of Dallas Cowboys’ d-lineman Randy Gregory.
Sources close to Campbell say that this could have an impact on his 2017 NFL Draft status, putting his consensus projection as a first-round talent in jeopardy.
Per the report:
In the scouting community Williams is a consensus first-round talent, however team sources believe that Williams could easily slip to the second day of the draft. The reason for that is many failed drug tests, and some team sources have said that Williams substance abuse issues are very serious in the realm of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory.
Gregory was one of the top physical talents for the 2015 NFL Draft, but he fell to the second round because of drug problems and repeated failed tests. Sources say that Williams’ issues with marijuana are comparable to Gregory. Three different team contacts all said Williams problems were similar in their severity to Gregory. In late September, Williams had an arrest for carrying a pistol without a permit. Alabama suspended him for the first half of the game against Kentucky as a result, but he was fortunate to avoid other suspensions, as sources say he failed many drug tests. That leads teams to have concerns that he will land repeated suspensions in the NFL like Gregory.
Between 2015-2016, Williams tallied 30 tackles for loss and 20 sacks, making him one of the more feared players at his position in college football and a top next-level prospect.
Bleacher Report draft writer Matt Miller lists him as the No. 13 overall prospect in the draft and the No. 4 edge rusher.
Saturday Down South will monitor this story as it develops.
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
