After addressing their needs at linebacker in the first day of the 2013 NFL Draft when they selected Jarvis Jones with their first round pick, the Steelers again returned to the position on day three at the bottom of the draft by picking inside linebacker Vince Williams in the 6th round.
The Steelers used their compensatory pick to take Williams.
Williams stands at 6’11” and the Steelers are listing Vince Williams weight at 250 lbs although other sources have him at 233.
His time in Florida was marred by injuries, but he improved his stock in pre-draft workouts. In total he played in 50 games at Florida State and started 26, recording over 13 tackles for a loss during that time. He also defensed 7 passes and had one interception.
Clearly Williams is coming to the Steelers as some what of a project, but the Steelers are notably thin at inside linebacker. Behind starters Larry Foote and Lawrence Timmons, the Steelers only have Stevenson Sylvester, Adrian Robinson and Chris Carter, none of whom have proven much.
The Steelers brought Williams to the South Side for a work out, and Behind the Steel Curtain’s Neal Coolong described him as “a fairly one-dimensional player, and it doesn’t seem he’d be available for three downs due to limited pass coverage ability.”