National Football League

Gophers' Williams eagerly awaits learning NFL fate

Published Apr. 29, 2015 11:15 p.m. ET

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MINNEAPOLIS -- Pretty soon, Maxx Williams will sign a lucrative NFL contract that will allow him to buy his own house wherever he winds up.

For now, though, the former Gophers tight end has moved back into his parents' home in Waconia, Minn., as Williams waits for his name to be called in the NFL Draft.

"It's nice to spend the last little bit of time with them until I kind of start the new chapter of my life," Williams said Wednesday, one day before the NFL Draft's first round.

The next chapter of Williams' life comes after a rather riveting chapter at the University of Minnesota, where he was one of the most electric players the Gophers have had in years. He led Minnesota in receptions (36), receiving yards (569) and touchdown catches (8) during the Gophers' eight-win season in 2014. Along the way, Williams earned First-Team All-America honors, as well as an Academic All-American selection and the Big Ten Tight End of the Year.

Though just a sophomore, Williams was eligible to leave school following the 2014 season since he redshirted his first year on campus. One day after his highlight-reel touchdown in the Citrus Bowl in which he hurdled not one but two Missouri defenders en route to a touchdown, Williams made the decision Gophers fans feared but anticipated: he was NFL bound.

At the time of his announcement, Williams said he had heard from the NFL's draft advisory board that he likely wouldn't go in the first three rounds of the draft. That started to change, however, as some mock drafts eventually pegged Williams as a first-rounder -- or at least the first tight end taken.

While more recent mock drafts project Williams to go in the second round Friday, there's still a chance he could sneak into the first round, which would make him the first Gophers player taken in the first round since running back Laurence Maroney went to the New England Patriots 21st overall in 2006.

Williams has no idea where he might end up, and he insists he isn't paying attention to where others think he could land.

"I don't read any media on that stuff or anything like that," Williams said. "For me, it's kind of like, 'Give me an idea.' But really, I don't want to hear them say, 'You're going to go here or there,' because that can only lead to disappointment in the end. I'd rather just be surprised."

Maxx Williams

As he's prepared for the next few days, Williams has talked to a few former Minnesota teammates who have been through the same draft process. That includes defensive lineman Ra'Shede Hageman, who went to Atlanta in the second round last year, and safety Brock Vereen, a fourth-round pick of Chicago later in the 2014 draft.

Though Williams has a good chance to go higher than both of those former Gophers, the emotions and nerves over the next few days may very well be similar.

"They just said, 'Take it for what it is. Your name's going to get called. It's just a matter of when,'" Williams said. "'Take the opportunity and make the most of it.'"

Scouts and NFL talent evaluators have raved about Williams' hands and athleticism, which were never much of a question during his breakout sophomore season. What does still need some improvement, though, is Williams' blocking, something he admits is still a work in progress.

In this day and age of transformative tight ends such as New England's Rob Gronkowski or Seattle's Jimmy Graham, it's a position that can require more catching and less blocking than the old stereotype of tight ends: an extra blocker who may catch a pass every once in a while.

Williams showed off his skills at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February. He ran the third-fastest 40-yard dash of the tight ends there (4.78 seconds) and had the fifth-best measurements in both the vertical jump (34.5 inches) and broad jump (117 inches). It's the combination of all Williams' skills, though, that make him an appealing NFL prospect.

During the past four months since leaving school early, Williams hasn't strayed from his roots. Aside from living at home with his parents, he's worked out with his former quarterback, Gophers junior Mitch Leidner, to run routes and stay in football shape. He even stopped by several of Minnesota's spring practices to check out how his old team was doing without him.

"It's definitely weird not being there," Williams said. "It's more weird not being with the guys. You just feel out of the loop now because they do have all the football connections still and I'm not there."

Soon -- possibly as soon as Thursday night -- Williams will have a new team and a new group of teammates to get to know. Until then, he'll stay close with those who have been with him since his days as a high school quarterback at Waconia. He plans on watching the draft at his parents' place with family and friends.

Williams grew up a fan of his dad's former team, the New York Giants, and he's lived in the backyard of the Minnesota Vikings for years. He's said he has no preference of where he winds up in the draft; he'll be happy to be a member of whatever team does choose him.

"I'm just anticipating to have a good day," he said. "Whatever happens happens. Whenever I hear my name, whenever it is, it's an opportunity I'm looking forward to. I can't wait for it."

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