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Several Alabama players are expected to be selected early in next month’s draft and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams is a good bet to be the first of them off the board.

Williams showed he can be a playmaker during the 2018 season by racking up 19.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks in 15 games. That production has earned him high marks when it comes to his instincts and quickness, but nitpicking is an inescapable part of the predraft process and Williams isn’t immune from it.

The question for Williams has been whether he has enough size to produce at the same level in the NFL that he did in the SEC. It’s one that his college coach Nick Saban was asked during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

“Even though some people would think that he’s a little undersized, he doesn’t play that way and he’s really athletic and a really good pass rusher,” Saban said. “So a really good combination, I think, for what people are looking for. Q is just very, very instinctive. Really good initial quickness.”

Williams was listed at 6’4″ and 295 pounds by the Crimson Tide and was measured at 6’3″ and 303 pounds at the Scouting Combine.