As Friday night turned into Saturday, Kyren Williams found himself in a familiar position — doubted and waiting.
Just like when he was a three-star recruit out of St. John Vianney High in St. Louis in the 2019 recruiting cycle, and just like when he was back-burnered as a Notre Dame freshman running back after dropping a pass in the 2019 season opener at Louisville.
The 5-foot-9, 194-pound NFL Draft early entry has always had a robust response, though. And that figures to be the case after Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams selected him Saturday in the fifth round of the 2022 draft.
The Rams are Williams' childhood favorite team, being located in St. Louis in his growing-up years. And the Rams traded to get him, making Williams the 21st pick of the fifth round and the 164th selection overall.
Williams, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher at Notre Dame, had been projected as a late day-2 pick (late second round, early third) until he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds at the NFL Combine in early March.
Combined with his size and receiving skill set, Williams began to profile as a third-down-package back rather than the versatile every-down back he saw himself as, even with an improved 40 in late March at ND’s Pro Day (4.54).
Fourteen running backs (as well as a kicker and two punters) came off the board before Williams, and none of them in round 1. Only two of the 14 weighed in at less than 210 pounds, with Michigan’s Hassan Haskins the largest at 228.
“I do think the NFL just prefers bigger guys, and that’s why they go earlier in the draft,” said Mike Renner, lead draft analyst for Pro Football Focus.
Williams becomes the second ND player taken in the 2022 draft, after safety Kyle Hamilton in Thursday’s first round, and just the fifth Irish running back drafted in the 2000s. Of the other four — Dexter Williams, C.J. Prosise, Theo Riddick and Julius Jones, only Prosise (third round) and Jones (second) went earlier.
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