Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

D.J. Williams earned the Mackey Award signifying he was the best tight end in college football. He ended his career second on Arkansas’ career-receptions list after hauling in 49 catches for 589 yards in 2010.

Naturally, his future in pro football is at fullback.

Fullback?!?

Chris Low at ESPN.com mentions in a Senior Bowl notebook that some view Williams as more of an NFL fullback than tight end. Low gave no real explanation for that sentiment, but wrote:

Arkansas’ D.J. Williams has been impressive with the way he’s caught the ball and has also showcased his athleticism, but the Scouts Inc. crew think he’s probably more of a fullback than a tight end in the NFL.

Fullback would be an interesting spot for Williams, a player whose blocking ability was a weakness early in his career. Fullbacks in the NFL — while they are used out of the backfield as receivers — are often more utilized in blocking situations. H-back, a sort of hybrid tight end/fullback position seems most likely.

Williams’ size is probably a factor in some viewing him as not suitable for tight end in the NFL. He measured under 6-foot-2 and weighed 236 pounds. That would be small for a pass-catching tight end in a league where guys like Antonio Gates (6-4, 260), Tony Gonzalez (6-5, 243) and Jeremy Shockey (6-5, 251) excel.

Williams told AL.com last week he views the Senior Bowl as a big opportunity.

"I'm so close, I don't want to mess up," he said. "This is crunch time. The Senior Bowl is a great opportunity for NFL scouts to see what kind of player I am on the field, not just in drills. You don't see that in the combines. This is an important time for me."

Williams isn’t the only player with Arkansas ties with an opportunity this week. Razorback offensive lineman DeMarcus Love is also taking part in the Senior Bowl along with Southern Arkansas defensive tackle Cedric Thornton and Auburn offensive lineman Lee Ziemba.

Love, according to Low, is projected as a second-day prospect in the NFL Draft. He measured 6-4, 318 with 35-inch arms.

Ziemba, who started 52 consecutive games for Auburn at tackle, has been working some at guard. It has not been an easy transiton, Low said:

Auburn’s Lee Ziemba had some issues lining up inside at guard. Bending at the knees was a problem, which affected his pad level.

Thornton is one of just three Division II prospects invited to the Senior Bowl. Thornton, who led SAU in assisted tackles (26), tackles for loss (13) and quarterback hurries (5), measured at 6-4, 299 with 34.5-inch arms.

Kickoff for the Senior Bowl is 3 p.m. on Saturday. Broadcast is set for the NFL Network.