From NCAA to NBA… Wait, NFL? The Carson Williams Story

Carson Williams was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders. How does his experience transfer, and how does he fit in?

A lot of Raiders fans had mixed reactions to the tweet by their verified Social Media account that announced they had signed Carson Williams, someone who hasn’t played football since 8th grade. One fan even said, “I looked this guy up and all I saw were basketball stats?”. It is true, the man only played basketball his whole High School and College career. But at 6'5 and 250 pounds, he is the perfect size for a tight end.

A lot of tight ends in the league have doubled up on sports growing up, including playing basketball as well. Antonio Gates was a basketball player that turned into an NFL Hall of Famer, just to name the most famous example. Carson Williams isn’t even the first basketball player from Western Kentucky to make a move to the NFL either. George Fant has famously played basketball for the Hilltoppers before carving himself out a nice career as an offensive lineman in the NFL. It helps to have a tutor that has gone through the transfer (this transfer portal is a little bit different than the usual one).

How does basketball transfer to football? One of the big things about blocking in the NFL is footwork. Power Forwards and big men in basketball are taught footwork from early on, footwork is key for being able to pull off moves in the post. Carson Williams was by no means a stretch four, so watching him go to work in the paint the last few years gives me extreme confidence his footwork as a blocker will be on point. Another huge key for a power forward like Carson Williams was his ability to rebound. Basketball players are taught to high point the ball while it is in the air and aggressively attack the ball when it is in the air, sort of like pass catchers in football are.

The difference is, basketball players (especially power forwards like Carson) are constantly battling non-stop in the paint for those rebounds. Unlike a pass-catcher who will only have so many opportunities based on when they are thrown the ball. Those battles in the paint are physical. This brings me to another point, the physical aspect of basketball is multiplied when you play power forward or center.

Can Carson hold up when attempting to block NFL defensive linemen? Well, he had to go against Charles Bassey every day in practice, a very large human being who will most likely go first round in the NBA draft. Another player Williams had to contend against in Conference USA was Kenneth Lofton Jr, who sits at 6'7, 275 pounds.

I mean, just look at this dude. He is the size of NFL linemen easily and has a size that would make some defensive tackles and defensive ends jealous. Maybe Lofton is the next basketball to football guy.

But is Carson strong enough?

is the fast enough, to play in the NFL?

The guy is an athlete, simple as that. These are very solid numbers, especially for someone who probably didn’t have much training in the proper form to do these drills, which can really make a difference in your score. He is raw, but the right coaching may be able to get a lot out of Carson.

Now how does he fit in with the Raiders? The raiders currently have 4 tight ends on the roster, not including Carson Williams. They are (in order of their place on the depth chart): Darren Waller, Foster Moreau, Derek Carrier, and Nick Bowers. So the odds that Carson Williams makes a roster spot is sort of low at the moment unless he can really impress enough to replace Nick Bowers. But even if Carson doesn’t make the roster, I would bet good money that they keep him on the practice squad. You see, both Bowers and Carrier are on the last year of their contracts with the Raiders. Moreau is also under contract through 2022, then he becomes a free agent.

I see the Raiders picking up Carson Williams as a possible future replacement for these tight ends whose contracts are coming to an end. Carson is raw athleticism. One year on the practice squad, maybe even one year on the roster if he can make it, and Carson will be a completely different player. So don’t be too disappointed if you hear Williams did not make the opening roster. He will be a player that garners interest from multiple teams for their practice squad, simply to how high his ceiling is.

I hope Carson succeeds in his NFL transition. Keep up the line of NFL tight ends that come from Western Kentucky. I’ll leave you guys with one last thing before I peace out, did some digging and found Carson Williams’ dunk highlights from his senior year in high school to show off his athleticism. The guy is a beast:

Go Raiders.