Giants’ Rodarius Williams the kind of player you want

Sometimes teams catch a huge break in the NFL draft by finding valuable players in the late rounds. The New York Giants may have done that this year when they selected Rodarius Williams, a 25-year-old cornerback out of Oklahoma State, with the 201st selection in Round 6 of the draft.

Williams is a competitive, experienced player whose physical style fits the Giants’ defensive philosophy.

The Giants’ defensive backs room is a crowded one, no doubt, and Williams is currently a long-shot to even make the roster at this point, but his former college coordinator believes he has what it takes to stick.

“His maturity is a huge asset,” Jim Knowles, the DC at Oklahoma State, told Giants.com. “He’s a little bit older than a normal rookie. It’s definitely a plus because he has been through a lot in his life. He’s overcome a lot personally, and I have seen his growth. I knew he had the talent from the beginning, but I have seen his growth as a mature young man who understands life and what it takes to succeed and the work that needs to go in. That lightbulb went on, so you’re getting a guy who is ready-made and prepared to handle being a professional.”

Williams’ younger brother, Greedy Williams, is a cornerback with the Cleveland Browns and was a second round pick back in 2019.

The Giants see many positives in Williams. His size (6-foot, 195 pounds) and durability are most attractive. Williams started 48 consecutive games at OSU, a program record.

“(Williams) is a guy who’s going to show up every day for work,” Knowles said. “That ability to maintain and be durable in our sport is a big deal. He fights through injuries. He seems to be a guy who handles the contact well and the aggressiveness of the game. He never complains. He’s really the kind of player that you want to have on your team because you can count on him.”

The Giants could use some durability on their roster. Williams could give them that and more. Where he fits, though, is hard to envision. The Giants have corners galore at the moment, most notably Pro Bowler James Bradberry, prized free agent Adoree’ Jackson, Darnay Holmes and third-round pick Aaron Robinson.

Knowles believes Williams has the temerity to play in the NFL. He is a highly focused player who doesn’t flinch on the field.

“That happens to a lot of DBs — where they’re in great position, but at the end of the route, there’s that little bit of flinch, that trip, that slip,” Knowles said. “He has the ability to play through the hands to the end of the play. He has a very calm demeanor, and that’s what you want out of a corner. He’s very calm, very confident, never loses his composure. When you have a guy like that who has the skill but he [also] has that intensity and focus to finish the play, I think you’ve got a good player.”

So do the Giants.