Quinnen Williams gave this Pro Bowl lineman his NFL reality check

For the third straight summer, New York Jets star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams has found his name on the NFL’s annual Top 100 list, though this year, he comes in a little lower than usual.

The former Alabama standout was revealed Tuesday to be ranked 87th on the list, a notable drop from his 2023 and 2024 placements at 40 and 37, respectively. But the ranking wasn’t the only thing that caught fans’ attention. It was the quote that came with it.

In the NFL’s video feature for the ranking, Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum reflected on his first-ever NFL game that came in Week 1 of his rookie season in 2022, a road game against the Jets. And one name immediately came to mind.

"First game ever, my rookie season. And that was kind of my welcome to the NFL moment, going against Quinnen."

Tyler Linderbaum

The 25th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Linderbaum has gone on to start nearly every game for Baltimore and has made back-to-back Pro Bowls. He’s widely regarded as one of the best centers in the NFL, which makes that Week 1 reality check all the more notable.

As it turns out, he wasn’t exaggerating. That game marked the highest single-game Pro Football Focus grade of Quinnen Williams’ career, a dominant 92.1. Not a bad way to welcome a top rookie into the league.

Was Quinnen Williams snubbed in the NFL Top 100?

While Williams landing at No. 87 on the NFL Top 100 list might raise a few eyebrows, it's fair to suggest that he's coming off what was admittedly a down year by his own standards.

Williams finished the 2024 season with a 69.6 overall PFF grade, his lowest since 2021. His 54 pressures were still respectable, but his 23 run stops were the lowest since his rookie year.

He also missed a career-high 26% of his tackle attempts, a troubling stat for a player once considered one of the most well-rounded defensive linemen in football. His run defense was quietly an issue in 2024.

That dip in performance came after two years of All-Pro-caliber play. In 2022, Williams broke out with 12 sacks and a 90.1 PFF grade, establishing him as perhaps the best defensive tackle in football.

He followed it up in 2023 with an arguably even better all-around year with 70 pressures, 42 run stops, and another 90+ grade season. The only other interior defensive linemen who were realistically in his tier over that two-year stretch were Chris Jones and Dexter Lawrence.

But in 2024, the entire Jets defense took a step back, and no position group regressed harder than the defensive line. Williams was forced to play significant snaps alongside the likes of Javon Kinlaw, Solomon Thomas, Micheal Clemons, etc. That allowed opposing offenses to key in on him. Even elite players struggle under that kind of pressure.

The Jets’ downward spiral didn’t help matters either. A 2-3 start led to head coach Robert Saleh’s midseason firing, and the team sputtered to a 5-12 finish. It’s hard for anyone, even a perennial Pro Bowler, to be at their best in that kind of environment. The vibes were just really bad all around.

The 2024 season may have knocked him down the rankings, but the leaguewide respect is still there. With a hopefully healthier supporting cast and a renewed sense of optimism entering 2025, Quinnen Williams has every opportunity to remind the league — and his peers, for that matter — exactly who he is.

It seems at least one star offensive lineman never forgot.

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