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UNC football: PFF ranks Javonte Williams and Michael Carter in top-4 of RBs

By Lee Vowell

Dec 5, 2020; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Javonte Williams (25) with the ball as Western Carolina Catamounts safety A.J. Rogers (4) and safety Quintin Talley (24) defend in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2020; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Javonte Williams (25) with the ball as Western Carolina Catamounts safety A.J. Rogers (4) and safety Quintin Talley (24) defend in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Two UNC football stars in their college careers are about to star in the NFL. Pro Football Focus has Michael Carter and Javonte Williams ranked in their top-four running backs in the 2021 NFL draft. Plus, Williams is a riser, according to PFF, and could creep close to be the top running back taken overall in this year’s draft.

According to Pro Football Focus, Williams has gone from middle-round draft pick to an early day 2, at worst:

"After putting on 15 pounds in two years, Williams added an explosive element to his game we hadn’t seen in the past. He broke the PFF record for broken tackles per attempt (0.48), and his 75 broken tackles led the country. His 95.9 rushing grade was also far and away the highest we’ve seen in a single season."

Here’s the thing, though. While Williams is going to be one of the best running backs in the NFL by 2023 along with Michael Carter (I say this biasedly as a Tar Heels fan and think there is nothing better than any player produced by UNC football), I think Carter is going to be the better NFL player.

By the way, you can look back at this and laugh at me one day when you look at 2023 statistics and Williams has 1,400 yards rushing while Carter has just 1,200 but I am OK with that.

UNC football is going to produce two good running backs in 2021

I just think Carter is a better fit with more teams than Williams is. Wiliams is likely to be more of an inside runner in the NFL and needs to get with a team that runs traps and likes bullish runs that push the line.

Carter is more of the Alvin Kamara-type. Yes, he is smaller than Kamara but not by a whole bunch and has the quickness to get free on runs and, more importantly, receptions. Carter is going to get his share of runs, sure, but he is a threat out of the backfield that teams will use.

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But again, both Carter and Williams should do well at the next level as they had good coaching with UNC football and should find the transition easier than if they had played at a lesser program. Williams ranked as PFF’s second-best running back prospect and Carter as its fourth-best for the 2021 NFL draft for a reason. Both players are good with the potential to be great in the NFL.

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