2026 NFL Draft: Antonio Williams an elusive, electric wide receiver Raiders need

When the Las Vegas Raiders traded veteran wide receiver Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars in early November, the Silver & Black’s void at a fine route running pass catcher who could separate early and easily from defenders was ever apparent.

With Klint Kubiak at the helm as the Raiders makeover is in full effect under a creative play caller — albeit rookie head coach — that chasm remains that Meyers left. And with Las Vegas presumably using the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the need for an elusive and electric wide receiver that can become the signal caller’s best friend is amplified.

To remedy this, general manager John Spytek added veteran wideout Jalen Nailor in wave one of free agency earlier this month. Heralded for immediate acceleration and sharp route running, Nailor has the skillset to fill the absence left by Meyers. But the Raiders could use more talent at wide receiver of similar ilk.

And there’s a Clemson Tiger who will not only remind Las Vegas of Meyers, but also a productive fan favorite who came from the same school — Hunter Renfrow.

Let’s dig into Antonio Williams.

By The Numbers
Antonio Williams, Wide Receiver, Clemson

2025: 10 games, 55 receptions, 604 yards, 4 touchdowns; 13 rushing attempts, 78 yards, 1 touchdown
Career: (2022-25), 43 games, 208 receptions, 2,336 yards, 21 touchdowns; 25 rushing attempts, 187 yards, 2 touchdowns

Measuring in at 5-foot-11 1/2 and 187 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, Williams also clocked in a 4.41-second 40-yard dash time and 1.55-second 10-yard split, which highlight the wideout’s acceleration and electricity. A productive four-year presence during his time at Clemson, the South Carolina native brings the rare ability to throw, catch, run, and be a return specialist — which are skills Meyers’ and Renfrow brought to the table during their respective tenures as Raiders.

It’s that ability to set up defenders with fakes and tempo changes that made Meyers and Renfrow nightmares to cover and Williams’ ability to not be predictable has left many of defensive backs on ice skates. While the Clemson receiver may not have the long speed that current Las Vegas wide receivers Tre Tucker and Dont’e Thornton Jr. bring to the table, Williams’ instant acceleration showcases how fast he plays whistle to whistle which wears down defensive backs — especially when he varies in the feints that Renfrow made so famous.

I’m sure Raider Nation remembers that turn-and-go China route that Renfrow used to make even elite cornerbacks look dumb, Williams has that ability, too. He’s the type of pass catcher creative play callers love to concoct devious plays for, and Kubiak is that type of orchestrator.

Williams isn’t only a technician of a route runner, he has reliable and strong hands, the toughness to go over the middle and through traffic, and he’s an elite yards after catch (YAC threat).

The obvious knock on Williams is his size — or lack of it. A shade under six-feet tall and at 187 pounds, his draft projections have him limited to slot receiver which can limit him to a Day 2 or Day 3 selection (middle rounds). Which is fine and dandy for a Raiders team that can use the fourth-round pick (117th overall) it obtained from the Jaguars for Meyers.

Let’s take a look at the downsides Williams brings as a prospect (every single player in the draft brings downsides, after all.)

Viewed as more slippery than explosive, teams can have issues reconciling his timed speed with the absence of a top-end speedster they’ll see on game tape. Whether it’s on the boundary or inside in the slot, Williams is plenty quick but teams may not see defensive backs playing cushion coverage to mitigate the differences in speed like they would for Tucker or Thornton.

While running sharp routes, Williams can use refinement in fluidity. Meaning getting his hips to sink further for even tighter turns on his routes. His ability to freestyle — which has confused many defenders — can be detrimental to a coaching staff that prefer more attention to detail and rigidity — i.e. no freestyle, run them this way. We saw exactly this with a prior coaching staff when it came to Renfrow, for example. Some view Williams getting more seasoned coaching at the pro level will make his route running even more lethal, but there are concerns that an NFL team may take away what makes Williams a nightmare to matchup with.

Then there’s the rigors of sustained pro-level physicality.

Williams did miss games to nagging injuries in both the 2023 and 2025 seasons and he played the full slate of games in 2022 and 2024. The latter of which where he put up his best numbers: 75 receptions for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns; 7 carries for 101 yards and another touchdown; 2-for-2 for 62 yards and a touchdown passing; in 14 games in 2024.

Williams’ career 39 punt returns for 351 yards (average of nine yards per return) would certainly help ramp up the competition in special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis’ room, alongside Kubiak’s offense.

For a Raiders team that can use all the quality talent it can get, a receiver who can put defenders in a blender with his route running has strong and quick hands, and toughness to play inside, Williams should appeal to the Silver & Black. This particular Tiger is a do-it-all type and the Raiders need help in a variety of ways.

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