The Washington Commanders held rookie minicamp May 8-9, and former Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams stood out, drawing effusive praise from coach Dan Quinn on The Sports Junkies Podcast.
Williams, whom the Commanders selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the No. 71 overall pick, showed the traits Quinn highlighted after the workouts. "I think one thing that you say, right off the bat, like man, this guy has feel," Quinn said. "He knows when to stop, he knows how to adjust – he just has awareness already as like a big-time receiver."
Quinn ticked through the tools that caught his eye. "He’s got great hands, great movements to go. He’s off to a hell of a start," Quinn said. "He has definitely been one [of the rookies] that has absolutely jumped out."
The weight of those remarks is easy to see on paper. Williams left Clemson ranking fourth in school history in career catches, finishing his career with 2,336 receiving yards and 21 receiving touchdowns in 43 games. He was a two-time All-ACC selection and tied Mike Williams for the fourth-most career touchdown receptions in Clemson history.
His final college season underlined his versatility. In 2025, Williams caught 55 passes for 604 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games, rushed 13 times for 78 yards and one touchdown, completed a 75-yard touchdown pass and gained 44 yards on four punt returns, earning third-team All-ACC honors.
Quinn framed what he saw in specific route-running terms. "I think when everybody sees him as the route-runner, you’re going to see him absolutely be able to break people off his option routes, in-breaking routes, out-breaking routes – all the different elements that go along with that as a route-runner," he said. He added that Williams' quickness to change direction and suddenness were clear: "He can stop, he can change directions, explosive."
That combination — college production and the coach's immediate praise — is why the rookie minicamp mattered this week. Washington's coaching staff is trying to sort a receiving corps that will take the field in the 2026 regular season opener Sept. 13 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, and Quinn said Williams has the kind of "real skill" that could speed his path to meaningful snaps. "He’s got real skill about him. So, yeah, we’re really pumped about Antonio," Quinn said.
There is a tension beneath the praise. Williams was a third-round choice at No. 71, not a top-10 draft investment guaranteed a starting role; he must still earn playing time in a competition that will stretch through training camp. Quinn acknowledged that what he valued in Williams is hard to quantify beyond measurables: "But it’s just the feel. It’s not just a height, weight, speed thing – this guy’s got real natural feel as a receiver."
That unmeasurable quality is precisely what separates a promising draft pick from an immediate contributor. Quinn put it plainly: "That can be a hard thing to measure, but when you see it, you know exactly what it looks like. And Antonio has it, man, in the biggest way."
For Williams, the next act is clear and immediate: translate the minicamp momentum into a role in training camp and then into game snaps once the regular season begins. He arrives in Washington with a decorated Clemson résumé and the coach's public endorsement; how quickly that converts to production will be decided over the summer and ultimately judged on the field when the Commanders open at Philadelphia on Sept. 13.
