Evan Williams has started to carve out a real role in Green Bay, even if he’s still not getting the same attention as some of the bigger names around him.
For a Packers secondary that’s often been defined by uneven play at cornerback, Williams has given the defense something steadier to lean on. The 2024 fourth-round pick looks like a player Green Bay can count on, and the production is already backing that up. He led the team with three interceptions and added four tackles for loss, the most of any Packers defensive back last season.
That kind of impact has pushed Williams into the conversation as one of the team’s most promising defenders. Over the last two years, his PFF grade ranked 16th among eligible safeties, which fits the eye test of a young player on the rise.
Just as important, he has been on the field. Availability has become a major issue for Green Bay on both sides of the ball, with injuries to Tucker Kraft and Micah Parsons playing a big part in the Packers’ hopes of a deep playoff run going off track. Williams was one of only six Green Bay defenders to start at least 16 games last season, and his snap share jumped from 56 percent as a rookie to 86 percent.
That heavier workload came with more production. Williams finished fourth on the team in total tackles and third in passes defended.
His best stretch came in Weeks 11 and 12, when he piled up nine solo tackles and picked off passes from both Jameis Winston and J.J. McCarthy.
The former Oregon Duck has also fit neatly next to All-Pro Xavier McKinney, who joined the Packers in free agency the same year Williams was drafted. Together, they’ve given Green Bay a safety tandem that looks like one of the brighter spots in the secondary.
With the Packers no longer the youngest team in the NFL, they need recent draft picks to keep hitting. Williams is doing exactly that, and the defense is better for it.
In Other News...
Packers Have Early Answers And New Concerns After Steelers Loss
The preseason opener gave the Packers plenty to sort through beyond the final score, which is usually the point this time of year anyway. Green Bay got encouraging looks from several players, including Trey Smack and Brandon Cisse, while Keisean Nixon had a tougher night and the defense spent too much time chasing the ball through the air. It was the kind of first-game tape that can help coaches identify who is ready to build on a strong start and who still has ground to make up.
There were also the early injuries to Anthony Campbell and Mark Perry, a reminder that evaluation season can turn quickly into availability season. Even in a loss, the Packers can walk away with a clearer sense of where some of the roster battles stand, but the secondary and the depth behind it now come with a little more urgency than they did before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Matt LaFleur Calls Out Packers Defense After Alarming Preseason Slip
The Packers preseason loss to the Steelers did more than land in the loss column, it put a spotlight on a defense that looked out of sync far too often. Green Bay fell 28-9, and the kind of breakdowns that concerned Matt LaFleur were mostly in the secondary, where the communication and coverage issues were hard to ignore. LaFleur pointed to execution as the most obvious fix, and the biggest reminder of the night came on a 74-yard reception by Steelers rookie Kaden Wetjen.
Now the focus shifts quickly to cleanup work before Green Bay meets the Broncos in its next preseason game. For a team still sorting out roles and depth in the defensive backfield, this is the stage where sloppy assignments can become meaningful roster questions, even if the results do not count yet. The Packers have time to correct it, but not much, and the next game should offer a clearer read on whether the secondary can tighten up in time. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Blowout Loss Got Worse Thanks To A Steelers Rookie QB
The Packers already had plenty to sort through after a lopsided preseason loss to Pittsburgh, but the night got even harder to swallow because of the guy the Steelers brought in at quarterback. Drew Allar made his NFL debut look anything but tentative, carving up Green Bay with quick decisions, clean throws and enough movement to keep the defense off balance as Pittsburgh rolled.
For Allar, it was a sharp first step after a Penn State career that ended with an injury-shortened final season and an uncertain pro transition. Even with Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard sitting ahead of him on the Steelers' depth chart, the rookie made sure his name was part of the conversation after a performance that left Green Bay with more questions than answers. [Read more 🡒]