WR Duel: Preston Williams VS Mike Williams

During week seven of the NFL season the Miami Dolphins will be traveling back home to face off against the Los Angeles Chargers. Wide receiver Preston Williams will be going into his second season with the Dolphins and WR Mike Williams will be going into his fourth season with the Chargers, with both going head-to-head as their respective team’s No. 2 wideout.

Seeing Double?

Both Williams’ have similar playing styles. They are at least six-foot, four-inches tall, giving them the ability to jump above other corners and win the 50/50 opportunities. They may not be the best route runners, but their physicality with other CBs proves to be helpful in long-yardage situations.

Mike Williams Exploded in 2019

M. Williams had his best receiving season in 2019, breaking the 1,000-yard mark and leading the league in yards per reception at 20.4. In his 2018 season he finished tied for fifth in the league for receiving touchdowns with 10 and catching a whopping 65-percent of his passes.

M. Williams has proven to be a reliable option for the Chargers and will make it tough for a newly acquired Dolphins secondary to be able to guard both him and three time pro bowl WR Keenan Allen.

Preston Williams’ 2019 Season Ended Early

On the other hand, P. Williams played in just eight games in 2019, starting seven of them. In that season he caught 53-percent of the passes thrown at him while gathering 428 yards and three TDs.

Legal Issues Have Hindered Preston Williams’ Football Career

In P. Williams’ college years he did not see much of the field. He first attended the University of Tennessee being leaving in the middle of his second year. He played a combined seven games after both seasons with issues on and off the field plaguing him. P. Williams then transferred to Colorado State where he finally got the snaps he wanted. In 2018, his only season in Colorado, he played in 12 games and had 1,345 receiving yards with 14 TDs. 

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But while he was very productive on the field that season he was causing too much trouble off the field. P. Williams was arrested and charged with domestic violence and eventually arrested again for violating a protection order. He was then suspended for the entire 2017 season and the events cost him an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine.

After going undrafted, Miami took a chance and added him to its roster. If he can return from his ACL injury fully rehabbed, it looks like the Dolphins will be willing to flirt with his previous legal issues and exploit his growing field presence that was apparent in just half a season. 

Quarterback Room Has New Faces for Miami, L.A.

Both the Dolphins and the Chargers are hoping they have drafted the quarterbacks of their futures. Miami took QB Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 pick and L.A.  followed immediately after by drafting QB Justin Herbert with the No. 6 pick. 

With the recent success of redshirting certain rookies coming into the league, especially with MVP QB Patrick Mahomes being one of those successes, it is likely both of these rookies will spend the bulk of their seasons on the bench learning. But if they do see the field, it will test both Williams’ abilities to adjust to a new gun-slinger.

Both teams do already have veteran QBs that can hold their own on their respective rosters though. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and QB Tyrod Taylor both have plenty of experience in the league and can provide leadership to a young QB that is ready to learn.

Work For Your Win, Son

With M. Williams being the second option for L.A. and P. Williams being the second option for Miami, both have the ability to extend drives in the trenches when called upon. Whoever can haul in the most passes or convert their red zone looks will likely push their team to victory.

– Garrison Pulley is a Sports Contributor for Full Press Coverage Miami Dolphins. Like and follow on Follow @gcooperpulley Follow @FPC_Dolphins and Facebook.