Any time a team selects a player early in the first round of the NFL Draft, it expects the player to develop into a superstar and help turn the team into a Super Bowl contender.
Few players can play at that caliber, however, but NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah has one name in mind when it comes to having an instant impact on the field. Not surprisingly, Jeremiah is going right to the top of his prospect rankings.
"I think he's the best football player in the draft, and that's Leonard Williams out of USC," Jeremiah said on NFL Network's "Path to the Draft." "You talk about a game-changer against the run and against the pass -- it doesn't matter what scheme you run, whatever you want to do, Leonard Williams can do.
"He can line up inside, and he can line up outside," Jeremiah said. "You can do whatever you want with him. That is the definition of a game-changer, and that's Leonard Williams."
Williams didn't post out-of-this-world numbers during his three seasons with the Trojans, but his stellar play in Los Angeles and noticeable upside has earned him the label of the most talented player in the draft this year. Jeremiah ranks him as such in his top 50 prospects, and he's also Lance Zierlein's top defensive lineman available to teams.
Despite such praise, Williams is not considered a lock to be the No. 1 overall selection for Tampa Bay, nor is he sure to go in the top two, given the uncertainty over what direction the Tennessee Titans will take in the draft.
In his latest mock draft, NFL Media analyst Brian Baldinger even foresees Williams slipping all the way down to the Atlanta Falcons at the eighth overall pick.
If that happens, some team will be the lucky recipient of a true game-changer along the defensive line.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
