BYU football’s all-time leading rusher Jamaal Williams impressing Packers

BYU football’s all-time leading rusher, Jamaal Williams, is pushing Ty Montgomery for the starting job in Green Bay.

It didn’t take former BYU football running back Jamaal Williams long to turn heads in Green Bay Packers camp.

Just after the NFL Draft took place, we wrote why Williams would be the Packers’ work horse in 2017. All the skills that Williams showed with the Cougars are still on display in Green Bay.

He’s a smooth runner that just needs one crease. Williams won’t dance around guys, but will run north/south after making just one cut. He took four carries for 14 yards in Green Bay’s first preseason game and looked the part of a NFL running back.

In practice he’s been impressing the local media – and his coaches – with his strong pass blocking abilities. With a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers under center, the extra split second provided by a back picking up a blitzing linebacker is all he needs to throw a touchdown bomb.

Green Bay obviously likes that Montgomery is a dynamic pass catcher out of the backfield. But Williams gives them more on first and second down than Montgomery does. You could even argue that J-Swag Daddy’s pass blocking is more necessary than Montgomery’s route running on third down.

With Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb and Martellus Bennett all competing for catches, there’s an argument to be made that Green Bay doesn’t necessarily need another receiver as much as a competent runner.

Montgomery may still start for the Packers. He may do so all season long. But the former BYU football superstar will finish the year with more carries than Montgomery.

I expect Williams to finish the season with around 750 rushing yards and five or six touchdowns. That’s nothing to shake a stick at, especially for a rookie and late fourth-round draft pick.