Madieu Williams

Williams will be a top backup at safety helping out in nickel packages.

Williams is Minnesota's starter at weak safety, but doesn't produce big tackle totals in Minnesota's Cover 2 scheme.

Williams missed seven games with a neck injury last season, but bounced back to 42 tackles and two interceptions in seven games. He'll start at free safety and should benefit from a strong defensive line.

Williams was signed by the Vikings in the offseason to be paired with Darren Sharper. He is locked in as the starter and should match or exceed last year's numbers of two sacks, two picks and 70 tackles.

He can play corner, but Williams spots up at free safety, where he can use his toughness against the run more and sky for errant balls in double coverage. At 6-1, and with a fantastic closing burst and strong recognition skills, Williams has been a solid ball hawk from the get-go of his three-year career. He played just four games in his second season in 2005, but in his other two seasons he's picked off three passes both times. The key to Williams as an IDP, however, is that as a safety he can move into the box and fill spaces. Williams hits hard, though he could be better at wrapping up tackles, and plays with a toughness that belies his relatively thin frame. His career low in 16 games is 88 total tackles—even in 2005 when he played only four games, he was on pace for more. When he's on the field, Williams fills the stat sheet.

Just three defensive backs were better than Williams in 2004, when he turned in 86 solo tackles, two sacks and three picks while playing all over the depleted Cincinnati secondary. A bit of a tweener, he’s a little small for safety and a little slow for corner. Yet he’s shown when healthy he’s this secondary’s best hitter and has strong cover skills for a safety. Athleticism and instincts will do that for you. He missed 12 games last year, eventually needing shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, however. He wasn’t yet fully cleared for football activities at press time, so fantasy owners will have to do their homework and keep up with his health as the season approaches.

Williams lined up at every position in the secondary in his rookie season, but will start 2005 as the free safety, which is best since he lacks corner speed or true safety size. A superb athlete, he remains a bit raw, but few fantasy owners are complaining. Williams endured a very slow patch from Week 6 to Week 8, but otherwise dipped below five solo tackles just once.

High upside draft pick, probably will begin the year on special teams, but could force his way into the starting lineup by the end of the season.