The Duke Blue Devils surprisingly saw one of their defensive players go in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
The Duke Blue Devils did not have any players selected in the first two days of the NFL Draft, and just about everyone assumed cornerback Chandler Rivers would be the first Duke player off the board.
However, it would not be Rivers; it would actually be edge rusher Wesley Williams, as the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to the 119th overall pick of the NFL Draft to nab him.
Williams registered 44 tackles, nine tackles for loss and a couple of sacks this past season in what was actually a down year for him.
The year prior, Williams had the best campaign of his collegiate career, racking up 48 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, putting himself on the map as a potential NFL prospect.
There is no question his stock dropped in 2025, which was what makes the Jaguars' decision to trade up for him in the fourth round — with Penn State star Dani Dennis-Sutton still on the board — all the more peculiar.
Wesley Williams. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.Nevertheless, Williams definitely flashed talent at Durham, joining the Blue Devils in 2022 and spending his entire career with them.
Williams began receiving playing time in his second season when he logged 39 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
He ran a 4.89-second 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine and finished 23rd among edge rushers in NFL.com's athleticism score. He also finished 29th in total score.
Williams has decent size at 6-foot-4, 260 pounds and has the versatility to stand up or play down on the line.
"Williams plays every snap with a white-hot motor and intensity that opponents found hard to match in 2025," wrote Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. "He’s a natural knee bender, using his leverage to blow up blocks and dart into gaps to disrupt play development in the run game. However, he's hindered by a lack of length and explosiveness that will make it much tougher for him to create pressure as a pro."
It was definitely surprising to see Williams drafted this early, but maybe he will shock a whole lot of people.