Saints scouting small-school offensive lineman ahead of 2025 NFL draft
The 2025 NFL Draft is only a little ways away now, but with free agency and the NFL Scouting Combine between now and then, there are plenty of things to discuss before that point. With the New Orleans Saints having a relatively strong presence at the Senior Bowl and other events, there have been steady reports coming out regarding which prospects they have met with.
In a recent article from The Draft Network, Justin Melo interviewed Minnesota-Duluth interior offensive lineman Aiden Williams, who discussed the interest he has received around the league.
'I met with all 32 teams at the Shrine Bowl. There were a few teams who sent scouts to the event that I had previously met with at Minnesota-Duluth. They came to watch a few practices,' Williams recalled. 'I saw a few familiar faces. I think every team took a big interest in me. There were a handful of teams I had met with previously at UMD, ones I really got talking to like the Eagles, Steelers, and Saints, just to name a few. There were a lot of teams showing interest.'
It is intriguing to hear about prospects meeting with 16 to 20 teams, but meeting with every single team in the league is extremely impressive, and there is no doubt some talent or potential they see in Williams that had them all show up. At 6-foot-6 and approximately 314 pounds, he has exceptional size and has played at various positions.
He made it clear that he is training versatility as well: 'I'm definitely a guard and center at the next level. I'm an interior offensive lineman. I've been working on making the transition. I primarily played left tackle at UMD. I was jumping from left guard to right guard at the Shrine Bowl. I didn't take any live center reps, but I've been training to play center as well throughout this pre-draft process. Being an interior guy, but pairing that with my previous experience at tackle, I can essentially play all five offensive line positions.'
This is likely why interest has been drawn to him in recent weeks, being able to play all five offensive line positions is exceptionally rare, and teams were likely intrigued to see how his center skills have developed as well. We will see if the Saints end up taking a further look at him at any point, and if this develops into a pick they may make come April.
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