NFL Draft: New York Jets select Quinnen Williams as No. 3 pick in first round

Former Alabama football defensive linemen, Quinnen Williams was selected by the New York Jets as the No. 3 pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

The football career of Quinnen Williams has been surprising but there was no surprise Thursday night when he became the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Williams was selected by the New York Jets.

If there was a surprise with Quinnen in the Draft, it came from him not being the No. 1 pick in the Draft. There was widespread acknowledgment Quinnen was the best player in this year’s Draft. However, first-round selections.

In commenting on why the Arizona Cardinals should not have selected Kyler Murray with the No. 1 pick, Todd McShay said,

"I think Quinnen is going to be an absolute star. I think there are two blue-chip, elite players in this draft. One of them Nick Bosa and the other is Williams."

Quinnen was not shy about touting his abilities leading up to the Draft.

"I’m the best player in the whole draft class, because of the things I can do on the field and off the field."

The most interesting thing about Quinnen is his fast rise to college super-stardom. Quinnen was a 3-Star recruit who moved up to 4-Star status largely based on strong interest from Alabama football and Auburn. Former Crimson Tide assistant, then Auburn assistant, Lance Thompson gained Quinnen’s verbal commitment to the Tigers first.

Flipping Quinnen from the Tigers to the Tide turned out to be huge, but it was not so impactful at the time. Quinnen was a solidly rated 4-Star before signing with the Crimson Tide. He was rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 155 overall player in the 2016 signing class. However, he was only the 12th highest rated signee in the Crimson Tide class.

After a redshirt season, Quinnen was solid but not spectacular as a redshirt freshman. after his sensational sophomore season, Quinnen won the Outland Trophy and was named a unanimous All-American.

Quinnen may be quick to admit believing he is the Draft’s best player. That boldness is matched with an honestly humble personality. He realizes things could have gone differently, coming out of Wenonah High School.

"A lot of people where I’m from could have been in this situation but they didn’t have the right guidance or the right things to put them in this situation and they lost focus."

How close did Arizona come to making Quinnen the No. 1 pick? Thursday morning buzz was the Cardinals had talked to Williams and told him he was still in consideration as their pick. In the end, the Cardinals, under offense-centric head coach, Kliff Kingsbury made the predictable choice.

In advance, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic explained the Cardinals’ decision.

"After internal deliberation, the Cardinals decide not to pass on the splashiest option for a No. 1 pick — a new QB that Kliff Kingsbury will adore and a big-play talent that ownership can sell. A defensive centerpiece tempts them, but the sway of introducing another hotshot franchise QB ultimately takes precedence."

There is a long way to go in the 2019 NFL Draft. Bama Hammer will follow it all.