Commanders linksa perfect fit @SeatGeek | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/R0D6bjWmUw
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) April 25, 2026
“We’re going to THE COMMANDERS!” 📞@a_williams2022 x @Commanders #ALLIN | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/XLaLjlrTGl
Tone-setter@a_williams2022 | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/acKTzoolEx
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) April 25, 2026
Washington, which lost multiple wideouts to injuries throughout last season and has lacked a consistent No. 2 receiver to complement Terry McLaurin.
Whether Williams — the 71st pick of the draft — can develop into that, however, remains to be seen.
Williams, however, spent the majority of his time at Clemson in the slot, playing 78.1 percent of his career passing snaps inside, according to Pro Football Focus. His junior season in 2024 was his most balanced in alignment. That year, he spent 43 percent of his passing snaps outside.
He missed two games as a senior because of a hamstring injury, and his numbers as a junior — 75 catches, 904 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns — were far better than his numbers as a senior (55, 604, 4).
Antonio Williams was drafted in round 3 with pick 71 in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 8.58 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 596 out of 4196 WR from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/YrjdqWb820 pic.twitter.com/6gURGTOj3D
“Williams is a bona fide ball player with good size and an ability to make mischief when he totes the pigskin,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “There is freestyling inside his routes that create uncertainty for corners but teams might drill down on attention to detail and better efficiency to keep him on schedule. He’s not a field-stretcher but he plays fast from snap to whistle and has the ball skills to bring in challenging catches. He’s more slippery than explosive with outstanding run-after-catch ability. Williams projects as a productive slot receiver with legitimate run/pass/catch talent that should appeal to creative play-callers.”
Williams was one of the better deep threats in college football over the last two seasons, recording nine receiving touchdowns of at least 20 yards since 2024. Williams also has exceptional separation ability, as he ranked in the 88th percentile against single coverage.
.@ClemsonFB WR, Antonio Williams, is a name to remember this week during the #nfldraft When you know; you know. a gifted router. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/cumVGRD1Fn
Commanders analyst Logan Paulsen had Williams as his 44th-best player available heading into Day 2, writing that Williams was underutilized at Clemson and can create separation from the slot.
Early in his high school career, Williams played some quarterback. He threw passes, caught passes, ran the ball and returned kicks. He did that with the Tigers, too. He should be a fun new weapon for offensive coordinator David Blough.
Clemson WR Antonio Williams is headed to the Commanders 😤Jayden Daniels gets another weapon 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IO5dazqsHZ
Compared to current Green Bay Packers WR Jayden Reed
Daniel Jeremiah compared Williams to current Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed, a 2023 second-round pick. Jeremiah wasn’t the only to compare Williams to Reed.
Antonio Williams reminds @dynastyrich of this former 2nd round pick in the NFL Draft… pic.twitter.com/RErRwBBWiw
Williams proved to be one of the most explosive athletes in the ACC during the 2024 season after amassing six catches for 30 yards or longer, while becoming one of the most efficient in 2025 after posting just one drop.