Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams has earned Pro Bowl honors the past two seasons, and in 2022, he was also All-Pro. He is also paid like one of the best players at his position.
Still, entering his sixth season, Williams said he believes he can improve even more.
“My main area of focus has been just getting a bigger scholarship when it comes to pass rushing,” Williams said, via Caroline Hendershot of the team’s website. “I feel like I do some good things in the pass rush, but I just get a bigger bag and more tools that I can use on Sundays. That was really my main goal. I’ve been working on the quick pass to the right side and the pass to the left side so I can be like a Swiss army knife.”
Williams tries to model his game after Aaron Donald, who retired in the offseason.
Williams has 33 sacks, 80 quarterback hits and 44 missed tackles in his first five seasons. Donald had 59.5 sacks, 149 quarterback hits and 97 missed tackles in his first five seasons and earned four All-Pro honors in that span.
So Williams still has a long way to go to become like Donald.
“I was really happy for him,” Williams said. “He did it his way, on and off the field. He was a great person, a great leader and a phenomenal person to watch when it came to learning the tools. He just set the example for every defensive tackle when it all comes down to to the plan of how to be a great player, especially at that position, how to change games and how to affect games at that position.”
With Donald out of the picture, Williams is now a candidate to be the league’s best at the position. His goal is to be even better.
“I’m just trying to be the best player I can be and just win football games for the New York Jets,” Williams said.
