William
Sherman.
William
Sherman.
Colorado· 6'4"· 304 lb· 5.19s 40
"A 6-4, 310-pound Colorado junior who started 27 games across tackle and guard, with adequate length (33.5" arms) but average tests — a Round-6 developmental swing-interior bet on football IQ and versatility."Pre-draft read
Operates as an interior-flex blocker best suited for left guard in a zone-heavy run scheme, with emergency swing-tackle value. His balance, redirect, and drive-block leverage are most effective in close quarters rather than isolated on an island. Hands are a notable asset, setting punch inside-out, resetting late, and rarely allowing defenders into his chest.
Feet are deliberate but coordinated, excelling in short-area combinations and gap-scheme down blocks. He uncoils through the near hip, stacking to the second level. In pass protection, he shows a solid anchor against bull-rushes, yet recovery quickness against tight-corner speed-to-power is a limitation. He communicates well, redirects stunts promptly, and works to the second level with intent.
The ideal scheme for William Sherman is a gap/duo power run game, emphasizing interior line play and minimizing his exposure in open space.
Initially, he projects as a reliable backup interior lineman who can contribute on special teams as he refines his pass blocking, with a ceiling as a starting guard in a run-heavy scheme.
He would struggle significantly as a full-time starting tackle in a pass-heavy, spread offense due to his athletic limitations in space.
Sherman’s high football IQ and interior blocking prowess make him a valuable depth piece for a power-run team, despite limited athletic upside.
Highlights | William Sherman, OL
Game film cut-up of William Sherman's Colorado tape.
Will Sherman College Highlights | New England Patriots
Game film cut-up of William Sherman's Colorado tape.
Three Falcons sign as UDFA; Sherman drafted by the Patriots
Game film cut-up of William Sherman's Colorado tape.
William Sherman projects as an NFL starting guard, especially in zone or gap-schemes where his technical proficiency and intelligent play can shine. He offers versatile backup capabilities, adept at both guard spots, understanding block responsibilities. His future success is tied to schemes prioritizing agile, smart linemen over pure power.
His evaluation highlighted consistently high football IQ and refined technique. He leverages quick, precise hand placement, powerful punch, and exceptional anchoring to win interior battles. Coaches lauded his leadership and proactive communication within the offensive line, making pre-snap calls and adjustments that elevate unit performance. This mental processing and fundamental mastery defined his collegiate career.
A former Colorado tackle, Sherman declared after his junior year with 27 starts across multiple positions. He consistently displayed a professional demeanor and competitive spirit. Despite effectively playing both tackle spots collegiately, his athletic profile (lateral quickness, lower-body flexibility) strongly suggests a successful move inside to guard. He faced legitimate Pac-12 competition, showcasing capabilities against tough matchups, though without accumulating numerous dominant isolated reps.
- 01
Hand placement and independence
Inside-out punch consistently wins the second-effort battle at the point of attack, cleanly resetting hands through the down against interior defenders.
- 02
Positional versatility
Four years of college tape at left and right tackle, projected to move inside to guard, offering a swing-interior profile for developmental depth.
- 03
Football IQ and communication
Identifies stunts, twists, and delayed pressure early, making clean pass-offs and identifying the MIKE with clear intent.
- 04
Anchor against bull-rush
Maintains a low, balanced base, effectively stifling straight-line bull attempts and preventing movement off his platform.
- 05
Combination-block finish
Uncoils through the near hip on down and gap blocks, staying stacked to the second level and working from ledge to linebacker.
- 01
Length on the tackle/guard bubble
33.5-inch arms are adequate but do not offer a significant advantage, struggling to reach long-armed NFL edge rushers.
- 02
Below-average recovery quickness
Lacks the second-jump twitch to redirect effectively against interior counters or wide-alignment tackle rushes once initial position is compromised.
- 03
Pass-set on an island
Struggles against tight-corner speed-to-power in space, losing hip control when forced into deep vertical sets as a tackle.
- 04
Modest peak reps
Consistent, solid, and sturdy college tape but without dominant games or signature moments against elite Pac-12 edge talent.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 5.19sp50
- Vertical
- 26inp50
- Broad jump
- 108inp50
- Three-cone
- 7.71sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.82sp50
- Bench
- 23repp50
| Yr | Team | G |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Colorado | 12 |
| 2019 | Colorado | 11 |
| 2020 | Colorado | 6 |
| Career | — | 29 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Well-traveled interior/tackle swing lineman who lives on 4–5 team résumés and dresses every Sunday — the exact veteran survivor archetype Sherman is tracking toward through his fifth year.
Center/guard flex who built a decade-long NFL career on IQ, hand placement and interior communication — the realistic ceiling if Sherman had landed in a more stable veteran offensive-line room.
Same 2020 Patriots interior-line pipeline: Day-3 flex piece who briefly started, was passed on the depth chart, and became a rotating practice-squad body across multiple NFL rosters.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
**Pre-draft context.** William Sherman arrived at Colorado from Allen (TX) as a three-star tackle prospect, redshirted in 2017, and grew into a four-year contributor who started 27 games between left tackle and right tackle by the end of a shortened 2020 Pac-12 season. He measured 6-4, 310 pounds at his Boulder pro day with 33.5-inch arms and 10-inch hands — length that lived at the tackle/guard boundary — and posted middling athletic numbers (5.19 forty, 26" vertical, 7.71 three-cone) that read like a Day-3 backup-tackle-to-guard convert. Board consensus reflected the tape: a smart, communicative, technically clean interior blocker with limited pass-set recovery and no elite trait, generally graded as a late-Round 6 to priority-UDFA option who would need to slide inside in a zone-heavy NFL scheme.
**NFL fit — New England Patriots.** New England took Sherman at #197 to feed a pipeline that always kept 3–4 versatile interior bodies on the depth chart, betting on his Pac-12 experience and gap-to-outside-zone dexterity. He spent his rookie year on the practice squad, bounced on and off the active roster in 2022, and dressed for a handful of games without cracking a starting spot in front of Michael Onwenu, Cole Strange, and David Andrews. The organizational churn on the interior line during a disastrous 2022 season cost him the developmental window every Day-3 lineman needs.
**Retrospective.** Sherman transitioned to full-time guard and became a journeyman survivor rather than a hit — waived and re-signed multiple times, before landing with the New Orleans Saints on futures/practice-squad terms and dressing in 2024–2025 as an emergency swing guard. He has played 181 offensive snaps with a sub-45 PFF grade through five NFL seasons, the résumé of a well-coached, high-floor OL9/10 rather than the starting return the Patriots need on a #197 pick. On draft value, the pick is a mixed outcome: he is still employed as an NFL guard heading into 2026, but the Patriots never got a snap of starter-caliber production before he left the building.