6 wide receivers the Carolina Panthers must consider in 2022 free agency

Carolina Panthers must consider Mike Williams

2021 stats (Los Angeles Chargers):

• 76 receptions
• 1,146 receiving yards
• 9 touchdowns

Mike Williams could be best described as an up and down player in the NFL. There were high expectations for the 6-foot-4 wideout coming out of a high-powered Clemson offense and the early returns were less than anticipated before a third-year breakout gave some hope that he could reach his blatantly evident potential.

After a subpar 2020, the ship was righted in 2021 with a career year that included a 70 yard per game average than any team would welcome. Williams is a rare combination of good size and sneaky speed that routinely caught defenses off guard, leaving the receiver wide open behind the secondary.

Even without that kind of separation, Williams is a master at high-pointing the football to keep defenders as far from the pass as possible. A skill that allows quarterbacks to throw the ball a little bit higher where only the receiver has the chance to make a play.

Beyond this, the young player has shown that he can use his size to his advantage and box out defenders completely on comeback routes. Williams also has the mass to withstand the shock of being hit and still haul in the ball.

The only real negative to his game is the relative simplicity of it. Williams needs to become more well-rounded if he wants to continue developing into the player many anticipated before he entered the league.

Williams would essentially be a bigger, more sure-handed replacement for the role Robby Anderson was supposed to play. He would seamlessly fit alongside D.J. Moore and draw attention, especially in the red zone due to his size and ball skills.

There will be a large market for Williams but a homecoming of sorts to the Carolina Panthers might just be enough to bring him into the fold.