It's not easy for a prospect from a smaller school like Appalachian State to draw attention just a few weeks before the NFL draft, but Mondo Williams has found a way.
As you can see above, the Mountaineers cornerback made a spectacular one-handed catch during a workout, and captioned a Twitter video of the feat: "Inspired by @OBJ_3". That, of course, was a reference to New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. and the legendary one-handed grab he made against the Dallas Cowboys in 2014.
Williams' decision to tag Beckham on Twitter paid off, as the Giants star responded:
Of course, making a catch like that during a workout in shorts is far less challenging than Beckham's feat, but it makes for a keeper of a video clip, just the same. Williams (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) made 30 tackles with four interceptions and six pass breakups for Appalachian State last year, including a pick of former Tennessee QB and 2017 draft prospect Joshua Dobbs. NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter described Williams as a willing tackler despite his size, with NFL potential as a nickelback and special teams contributor.
"Tough guy, in a good way," Reuter said. "He's got ball skills, is able to make tough catches in the air, and can find the ball to knock passes away, even when up against larger receivers."
Reuter intends to include Williams in an upcoming 7-round mock draft, so he might get a shot to line up across from OBJ next season.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter *@ChaseGoodbread*.