Kevin Williams

At 34, the five-time All Pro Williams is clearly on the downside of his career, but the Seahawks hope he has enough to left to be a force inside and provide leadership after losing veteran Red Bryant in free agency. The Seahawks use a heavy defensive line rotation, which should help keep Williams fresh.

Williams will return to start at defensive tackle, a position he has been a mainstay for the Vikings the past 10 seasons. His position is not generally very beneficial as an IDP option and his sack production has dropped tremendously the past few seasons. He only totaled 2.0 sacks and 30 tackles in 2012, but did manage two fumble recoveries.

Williams' career seemed to be on the ropes after recording just one sack in 2010, but he bounced back with five sacks in 14 games last year. He may no longer be a force against the run, but he's a rare DT who can get to the quarterback.

Williams is usually a top IDP option for leagues requiring defensive tackles since he generates sacks, but he had just one sack last year and faces a lot of uncertainty in 2011. The "Williams Wall" started to crack last season as Minnesota wasn't among the league leaders in stopping the run (9th overall). Pat Williams is unlikely to return in 2011, which may allow opposing offenses to focus more attention on Kevin Williams. Williams also faces a likely four-game suspension in 2011 as well. Kevin and Pat Williams lost a final appeal in the StarCaps case that gave the NFL authority to suspend Williams for his use of a banned substance, but the NFL still hasn't made a ruling on the suspensions as training camp began (it's possible they could reduce the suspension). Williams is also coming back from offseason knee surgery, but is likely to be ready for the start of the regular season.

Williams is one of the best options at defensive tackle for IDP owners with 61 tackles and 8.5 sacks last season. The addition of Jared Allen helped Williams boost his sack totals after two subpar years in that category. However, Pat and Kevin Williams still face a possible four-game suspension for using a banned substance that's making it's way through the legal process this summer.

Williams remains one of the top defensive tackles in the game, but his job as a run-stuffer limits his amount of sack opportunities. He hasn't topped five sacks in the last three seasons and he certainly can't be counted on to match to the two interceptions he returned for touchdowns last year. He should be one of the most productive defensive tackles but will find it tough to match the numbers posted by any of the top defensive ends.

The starting defensive lineman is back to Pro Bowl form after a knee injury in 2006, though more as run stuffer than pass rusher.

Williams flat-out stunk through the first 11 games of the season after coming back from offseason knee surgery and struggling to adjust to a 3-4 defense. After missing two games with a knee injury, he finished the season with three sacks in his last three games, raising hope he can return to his previous All Pro form next season.

Defensive tackles aren’t supposed to do this. Some get few stats at all. Others are tackle machines but barely sack the quarterback three or four times in a season. Williams not only tackles and sacks, but manages to intercept a pass every year and score a few passes defended on batted balls. He started his career in 2003 as a defensive end but moved inside during the season and hasn’t looked back, adding tackle-sized solo tackle numbers to continued double-digit sacking. He hasn’t gone three games without registering a sack since he got his first NFL sack in Week 4 of his rookie year. With Pat Williams added at tackle beside him, Williams should continue this level of productivity and consistency.

There may be no tougher words in football than “nose tackle.” Williams split time between there and left end in totaling 39 solo tackles, 10.5 sacks, an interception and four passes defended last year. The drafting of Kenechi Udeze means Williams will likely spend most of his time in the interior this season. He’s shown impressive ability to collapse pockets from any line position, however, so while he may not repeat his sack numbers, his tackles should go up.

The Vikings hope Williams, their first-round pick, will help take pressure off Chris Hovan to improve the pass rush.