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1985 NFL Draft · Rd 11 · #288 overall

James Williams Memphis Draft

James Williams was drafted No. 288 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1985 NFL Draft out of Memphis. No regular-season snaps on record.

Overall pick
#288
Round
11
Draft class
1985

The pick

How James Williams came off the board in 1985.

Drafted by

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rd 11 · #288 overall · NFC South

Full 1985 draft class (336 picks)
Position
Running back RB
College
Memphis American at the draft
Side of the ball
Offense

NFL career

No regular-season snaps on record.

No regular-season career on record yet.

Games, starts, and approximate value appear here once the season data lands.

See the rest of the 1985 class

Around pick 288

Who came off the board on either side of James Williams.

#286 Kevin Harris DB · DET Georgia #287 Travis Tucker TE · CLE Southern Connecticut State #289 Herman Hunter RB · PHI Tennessee State #290 Raleigh McKenzie G · WAS Tennessee

Memphis in the 1985 draft

Teammates who went in the same class.

#14 Derrick Burroughs DB · BUF Memphis #66 Tim Long C · MIN Memphis #67 Donnie Elder DB · NYJ Memphis #159 Jack Oliver T · NYG Memphis #280 James Bowers DB · SEA Memphis

Other RB picks from Memphis

The program's most accomplished players at the same spot.

#27 DeAngelo Williams RB · CAR · 2006 Memphis · 1× Pro Bowl #128 Tony Pollard RB · DAL · 2019 Memphis · 1× Pro Bowl #66 Antonio Gibson RB · WAS · 2020 Memphis #150 Kenneth Gainwell RB · PHI · 2021 Memphis #70 Darrell Henderson RB · LAR · 2019 Memphis #56 Richard Williams RB · WAS · 1983 Memphis

Other players named James Williams

Different people who share this name in the draft archive.

#242 James Williams SAF · TEN · 2024 Miami #175 James Williams WR · SEA · 2000 Marshall #158 James Williams LB · NO · 1990 Mississippi State #16 James Williams DB · BUF · 1990 Fresno State #264 James Williams TE · NE · 1983 Wyoming #290 James Williams DE · ARI · 1982 North Carolina A&T

About this draft profile

Last updated Aug 24, 2026

James Williams in the 1985 NFL Draft

James Williams is a Running back out of Memphis selected No. 288 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1985 NFL Draft. No regular-season snaps on record. Memphis has produced 64 NFL draft picks since 1980.

Where this data comes from

Pick order and career outcomes come from the nflverse draft archive; position, measurables, and conference at the time of the draft come from the college feed. Career columns stay empty until a player logs regular-season snaps.

Keep exploring

Frequently asked questions

Where was James Williams drafted?

James Williams was selected No. 288 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1985 NFL Draft (Rd 11). Full pick detail at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1985/james-williams.

What college did James Williams play for?

James Williams played college football at Memphis in the American. See every Memphis draft pick at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/memphis-tigers.

How did James Williams's NFL career turn out?

No regular-season snaps on record. Career outcome data at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1985/james-williams.