Dan Quinn Raves About Antonio Williams After No. 71 Pick
Dan Quinn left rookie minicamp with a clear message about antonio williams: Washington’s third-round pick at No. 71 made a strong early impression, and the Commanders coach said the former Clemson receiver already looks like a big-time target. Quinn’s praise came after Washington’s May 8-9 rookie minicamp, giving the rookie a public boost before any preseason snaps.
Quinn's read on Williams
Quinn said Williams has the kind of feel that shows up quickly to a coach watching routes, breaks, and timing. “I think one thing that you say, right off the bat, like man, this guy has feel,” he said after minicamp.
He added, “He knows when to stop, he knows how to adjust – he just has awareness already as like a big-time receiver.” That is the sort of evaluation teams usually reserve for players who separate cleanly and process coverage fast, and Quinn used it repeatedly to describe the rookie’s work.
Routes and hands
The specifics were even stronger. Quinn said Williams has “great hands, great movements to go,” and called him “off to a hell of a start.” He also said Williams has “real skill about him” and “real natural feel as a receiver.”
That skill showed up in the way Quinn described his route work. “I think when everybody sees him as the route-runner, you’re going to see him absolutely be able to break people off his option routes, in-breaking routes, out-breaking routes – all the different elements that go along with that as a route-runner,” he said. Quinn also pointed to Williams’ ability to “stop” and “change directions,” calling him “explosive.”
Washington's No. 71 pick
The praise lands with more weight because Williams was Washington’s third-round pick at No. 71. That draft slot puts him in the range where teams expect an early contributor, not just a camp body, so a strong first impression matters inside the room even before the roster picture tightens.
Quinn’s final assessment was blunt. “He has definitely been one [of the rookies] that has absolutely jumped out,” he said. “So, yeah, we’re really pumped about Antonio.” For a rookie trying to build trust fast, that kind of public endorsement from the head coach is the cleanest possible early marker after minicamp.
