NY Jets: Quinnen Williams named potential breakout player

The NY Jets boast one of the deeper defensive lines in the NFL, and at the core of that defensive front is third-year pro Quinnen Williams.

Williams emerged as one of the best young defensives linemen in football in 2020 following a standout season that saw him finish with seven sacks, 14 QB hits, and 10 tackles for loss.

Despite his stellar season a year ago, many believe that he's just scratching the surface of his potential.

Pro Football Focus recently released a list of five players heading into their third NFL season who could be primed for a breakout campaign in 2021. And Williams was among those mentioned.

The NY Jets may not have seen the best of Quinnen Williams yet.

By most accounts, Williams already enjoyed his "breakout" season in 2020. Following a somewhat underwhelming rookie campaign, Williams broke out last year and became the most disruptive force on the Jets' defense.

He received an excellent PFF grade of 81.4 that ranked 12th out of all interior defensive linemen in the NFL. Williams finished with both a pass-rush win rate and run-stop win rate in the top-five among interior linemen establishing himself as one of the best defensive tackles in football.

However, at just 23-years-old, Williams still has plenty of room to grow. And under the tutelage of new head coach Robert Saleh, it's easy to envision him becoming an All-Pro in his new scheme.

That's especially true given the fact that he will be surrounded with more talent than in recent years. The Jets went out and signed the likes of Carl Lawson and Sheldon Rankins in the offseason to further strengthen the team's pass rush.

Lawson was arguably a top-10 edge rusher in the NFL a year ago. Pairing him up with Williams could create one of the most dynamic pass-rush duos in the league.

The former Alabama star sat out of spring practices after breaking his foot last month, but the Jets are optimistic that he will be ready to go by training camp.

That's good news for a Jets defense that will be relying on Williams and the front four to get consistent pressure this year.

Quinnen Williams already broke out last season. But the stage is set for his 2021 season to be even more impressive than his performance a year ago.