Patriots signing former Chiefs and SEC O-lineman may test depth
Originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020, offensive lineman Darryl Williams was recently released by the Kansas City Chiefs and is now headed to New England to join the Patriots before training camp.
The former Mississippi State Bulldog had a successful career in Starkville and spent the last two seasons on the Chiefs practice squad. Given Kansas City’s admirable offensive line depth, Williams was no longer needed when the decision came to re-sign running back Jerick McKinnon.
What do Pats fans need to know here? Well, honestly, not much. Williams has no official NFL experience and he hardly played in college. However, his 6-foot-2, 304-pound frame makes him an attractive interior offensive line candidate at the professional level.
Looking at New England’s depth chart, a little competition can’t hurt with guys like James Ferentz, Drew Desjarlaiz, Will Sherman, Chasen Hines and Kody Russey serving as the backup interior O-linemen behind Cole Strange, David Andrews and Michael Onwenu.
Center Darryl Williams signed with the #Patriots, per source. Williams, 25, was previously with the #Chiefs.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 17, 2022
The Patriots signed former Chiefs OL Darryl Williams
Not only that, but Isaiah Wynn is slated to hit free agency after 2022, and there’s no telling how Strange will perform after the controversy surrounding the Patriots’ decision to select him in the first round.
More depth cannot hurt especially with the Patriots’ proclivity to develop under-the-radar talent. It’s unclear what Williams is even capable of or if the Pats can work their magic without Dante Scarnecchia, but if Bill Belichick is willing to take a chance, more often than not there’s something there that the average football folk cannot see.
The issue with diagnosing Williams’ skill set is the fact he switched between left tackle and center across 45 games in college. In the NFL, he’s certainly undersized for a tackle, and in New England, David Andrews has a stranglehold on the starting center job.
Just a few days after he was released by the #Chiefs, center Darryl Williams has found a new team per report. https://t.co/gu42ojgWQS
— Chiefs Wire (@TheChiefsWire) June 17, 2022
Perhaps the Patriots have taken value in Williams serving as a Bulldogs team captain as a redshirt senior and participating in the East-West Shrine Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine.
Whatever the preference is, keep an eye on Williams, who likely absorbed a lot of good intel as a member of the Chiefs organization, which has both recruited and churned out top OL talent over the last decade or so.
