Dorian Williams (American football)

Last updated

Dorian Williams
No. 42 – Buffalo Bills
Position Linebacker
Roster statusActive
Personal information
Born (2001-06-28) June 28, 2001 (age 24)
Indian Land, South Carolina, U.S.
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight228 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school Indian Land
College Tulane (2019–2022)
NFL draft 2023: 3rd round, 91st overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics as of Week 13, 2025
Total tackles 202
Forced fumbles 1
Fumble recoveries 4
Pass deflections 3
Stats at Pro Football Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Dorian Williams (born June 28, 2001) is an American professional football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave.

Contents

Early life

Williams attended Indian Land High School in Indian Land, South Carolina. [1] He committed to Tulane University to play college football. [2]

College career

Williams played at Tulane from 2019 to 2022. [3] [4] [5] As a senior, he had 132 tackles, five sacks and two interceptions. [6] For his career, he had 316 tackles, 9.5 sacks and two interceptions. He was named the defensive MVP of the 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic (January) after recording 17 tackles. [7] [8]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 1 in
(1.85 m)		228 lb
(103 kg)		33+3⁄4 in
(0.86 m)		10+1⁄4 in
(0.26 m)		4.49 s1.54 s2.59 s35.0 in
(0.89 m)		10 ft 0 in
(3.05 m)
Sources: [9] [10]

Williams was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the third round, 91st overall, of the 2023 NFL draft. [11]

Following a rookie season in which he was primarily a backup, Williams was thrust into the starting lineup following a preseason injury to Matt Milano leading up to the 2024 season. [12] Williams started 11 of 17 games he played in that season, accruing a team-leading 117 total tackles, including 5 for a loss, as well as 1 forced fumble and three fumble recoveries. Following Milano's return, Williams continued to be used heavily in three linebacker formations against the run despite Buffalo traditionally utilizing a nickel defense under head coach Sean McDermott. [13]

Williams (#42) and teammate Joey Bosa (#97) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025 Bills-vs-Bucs-2025-gameplay-1 (Bosa and Dorian).jpg
Williams (#42) and teammate Joey Bosa (#97) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025

Williams missed his first professional game due to injury against the New England Patriots in 2025, and Buffalo suffered its first loss of the season without him in the lineup. [14] He later made a key play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, recovering a forced fumble that sealed Buffalo's 44–32 win. Williams recorded an 82.5 rating from Pro Football Focus against the Buccaneers, the second highest among Bills defensive players that game. [15]

References

  1. ↑ McCormick, Bret (August 13, 2018). "Get to know: Indian Land linebacker Dorian Williams". Rock Hill Herald. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  2. ↑ McCormick, Bret (December 19, 2018). "National Signing Day: four local football standouts sign with Power 5 colleges". Herald Online. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  3. ↑ Froyd, Crissy (February 25, 2023). "Tulane's Dorian Williams polished, prepared for jump to NFL". Crescent City Sports. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  4. ↑ Smith, Guerry (November 4, 2022). "Dynamic duo: Dorian Williams, Nick Anderson making case as best linebacker duo ever at Tulane". NOLA.com. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  5. ↑ Smith, Guerry (September 10, 2022). "Game notebook: Tulane LB Dorian Williams has early interception in rout of Alcorn State". NOLA.com. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  6. ↑ Mills, Richie (February 1, 2023). "Tyjae Spears, Dorian Williams representing Tulane well at the Senior Bowl". WGNO. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  7. ↑ Williams, Dominique (January 4, 2023). "Tulane's Linebacker Dorian Williams named Most Valuable Defensive Player in the 87th Cotton Bowl Classic". KTVE - myarklamiss.com. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  8. ↑ Skiver, Kevin (January 2, 2023). "How Tulane stunned USC, completed 2023 Cotton Bowl comeback with a wild finish that included a safety, overturned TD". Sporting News. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Dorian Williams Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  10. ↑ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Dorian Williams College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  11. ↑ Heldinger, Grace (April 28, 2023). "Top five things to know about new Buffalo Bills LB Dorian Williams". BuffaloBills.com. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  12. ↑ Silagyi, Kyle (September 3, 2024). "Bills' depth chart reveals who is in line to start at safety in Week 1". SI.com. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  13. ↑ Towle, Kam. "30 most important Bills players of 2025: No. 29 Dorian Williams". Bills Wire. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  14. ↑ Ventre, Ralph (October 3, 2025). "Bills' defense down two more, maybe three, key contributors for Sunday Night Football". Buffalo Bills On SI. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  15. ↑ Towle, Kam. "Pro Football Focus: 5 highest-graded Bills players on defense vs. Buccaneers in Week 11". Bills Wire. Retrieved December 12, 2025.


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