Michael Irvin caught with his body too.
I'm not saying a receiver should always catch with their hands. Obviously, if the ball is thrown gut-high and there are defenders draped on the receiver, using his body to shield and catch the ball is the smart play.
The problem is that he tended to body catch on a lot of plays where if he had caught them with his hands, he could have had a lot more YAC. The delay in the letting ball come all the way into the body and the slight hesitation that goes with it to make sure he has control of it gives defenders time to close in and tackle him.
The best receivers use their hands in most situations because it gives the quarterback a wider target and gives the receiver the best chance to take off immediately.
This is not something new that I thought about with Williams. It's how I've judged receivers for a long time in general. Crayton was a great hands catcher which made him a solid #3 receiver. He did not have the pure talent to be a #1 or #2 receiver, but if he had been a body catcher, he would have not reached #3 either.
That said, just because a receiver is a hands catcher does not mean he will be great. Williams has a lot of talent and positive aspects about him. Being able to use his hands more would elevate his play more.
