William
Bradley-King.
William
Bradley-King.
Baylor· 6'3"· 252 lb· 4.74s 40
"A 6'3", 252-pound Arkansas State transfer who broke out at Baylor in 2020 with disruptive edge production, but limited length and a stiff lower half pushed him into a Day 3 rotational rush projection."Pre-draft read
He plays primarily as a stand-up edge rusher but is comfortable rushing from a three-point stance on early downs. His defining trait is closing burst off the edge against a vertically-setting tackle. He employs a compact rush plan, often using a long-arm with a chop-club counter, and occasionally flashes an inside spin move against overcommitting opponents.
Against the run, he actively uses his hands to set a firm edge on down blocks. While his eyes and pursuit angles are consistent, lower body stiffness is apparent redirecting against reach blocks and reduced looks. He is functional in simple flat/hook drops in short zones, but does not provide a matchup advantage in coverage. He wins primarily with straight-line burst; his change-of-direction and bend at the top of the rush are limitations.
Washington's 4-3 one-gap penetrating front is built on strong interior line play and athletic edge rushers that can win with power and speed to get upfield.
Rotational edge rusher on early downs and a designated pass rusher in obvious passing situations in year one, with a ceiling as a quality starter on a two-deep depth chart.
A passive 3-4 two-gap scheme that asks him to read and react to blocks and hold the point of attack would severely limit his natural explosiveness and upfield play strength.
Bradley-King's explosiveness and established pass-rush plan make him a good fit for a scheme that prioritizes upfield disruption from its edge players, with special teams value.
William Bradley-King Highlights (EDGE/ Baylor) (Pick 240) Welcome to Washington!!!
Game film cut-up of William Bradley-King's Baylor tape.
William Bradley-King Highlights - Senior Bowl
Game film cut-up of William Bradley-King's Baylor tape.
William Bradley-King, Baylor Bears | 4th & 4000
Game film cut-up of William Bradley-King's Baylor tape.
Evaluators projected William Bradley-King as a Day 3 NFL Draft pick, recognizing him as a high-motor edge rusher with relentless ball pursuit. He presented as a player a team could acquire for a rotational role, primarily focused on pass-rushing, with the potential for special teams contributions.
Bradley-King spent three seasons at Arkansas State, producing against Sun Belt competition, before transferring to Baylor for the 2020 season. He immediately became one of the Big 12's most disruptive edges in a shortened schedule, showcasing his ability to generate pressure against higher-level opposition. His pro day testing confirmed a solid athletic foundation for the position.
Concerns existed regarding his two-school resume, which analysts speculated might hinder his professional transition. Noticeable hip stiffness impacted his flexibility and quick redirection, suggesting limitations as an every-down edge defender. These physical tradeoffs meant his potential was likely as a sub-package rusher, reflecting his actual selection at pick 240 overall.
- 01
Closing burst
Once he makes a move on the edge, he rapidly covers ground to the quarterback, finishing with strong contact balance through the tackle's outside shoulder.
- 02
Rush plan
Employs a consistent long-arm to chop-club sequence, a technique that proved effective against Power-Five tackles and translated well to Senior Bowl practices.
- 03
Motor and pursuit
Plays through each whistle, actively chasing plays across the field and frequently making tackles 15-20 yards past the line of scrimmage, which projects to special teams.
- 04
Run-down setup
Sets a firm edge against down blocks, keeps his outside arm free, and forces tight bounces, facilitating pursuit to the ball carrier.
- 05
Testing profile
His explosive vertical and broad jumps, combined with his three-cone split at his listed weight, confirm the burst observed on tape.
- 01
Length limitation
His arm length is below average for the position, leading to struggles in hand-fighting against longer-armed tackles once his initial punch is absorbed.
- 02
Hip stiffness at the top
His bend around the corner is adequate rather than dynamic, relying more on athleticism to flatten the rush than on true ankle flexion, limiting his cornering win.
- 03
Inconsistent counter timing
When his primary long-arm is neutralized, his counter move often arrives too late, resulting in pressures instead of sacks after the pocket is set.
- 04
Coverage ceiling
He is adequate in simple flat drops but lacks the versatility to cover tight ends or running backs releasing out of the backfield in sub-packages.
Relative Athletic Score (Kent Lee Platte) benchmarks combine/pro-day numbers against every measured prospect at the position since 1987. 10.00 is elite; 5.00 is average.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.74sp50
- Vertical
- 34.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 119inp50
- Three-cone
- 7.14sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.26sp50
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Arkansas State | 11 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | Arkansas State | 13 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | Arkansas State | 13 | 49 | 8.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | Baylor | 8 | 31 | 3.5 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Career | — | 45 | 119 | 19 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Rotational sub-package rusher and quality core special-teamer who bounces between rosters on veteran-minimum deals.
Best case is a multi-scheme edge/off-ball hybrid who wins with plan and motor rather than premium traits.
Late-round edge whose limited length and testing corner cap him as a practice-squad-to-game-day yo-yo without carving out a defined role.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context. William Bradley-King spent three seasons at Arkansas State piling up production against Sun Belt competition, then transferred to Baylor as a graduate for the 2020 season and immediately became one of the Big 12's most disruptive edges in a shortened schedule. At 6'3", 252 pounds with an 8.76 RAS built on a 4.74 forty, 34.5-inch vertical and 119-inch broad, he tested as a legitimate athlete for the position, though average arm length and average bend at the top of the rush pointed toward a designated-rusher role in the pros. Evaluators liked the compact rush plan and the Senior Bowl reps, but the consensus board slotted him into the Day 3 rotational-edge tier.
NFL fit — Washington. Washington took him at pick 240 as a developmental piece behind an established front, with the ready-made trait being special-teams speed and the projection being a sub-package rusher two or three seasons out. The fit made sense on paper: a defense that rotated its edges heavily, an organization comfortable moving stand-up players around, and a roster that historically valued high-motor Day 3 finds on core teams.
Retrospective. Bradley-King never carved out a stable role. He bounced between Washington's active roster and practice squad as a rookie, was waived during the 2022 cycle, and cycled through Buffalo and other practice squads without producing meaningful defensive snaps or a defined special-teams profile. The pick returns are consistent with the seventh-round baseline — a developmental body who filled a camp roster spot and provided depth without emerging as a durable NFL contributor.