Evan Williams has already forced his way into the Packers’ conversation as more than just a young defensive back with upside. Heading into 2026, the fourth-round pick is sitting at No. 9 in the team’s top-50 rankings, and the case for him keeps getting stronger every time he takes the field.
Williams arrived in Green Bay as a 2024 NFL Draft selection out of Oregon, and in two seasons he has steadily turned production into trust. Across 29 games with 21 starts, he has piled up 149 tackles, 79 of them solo, along with five tackles for loss, eight passes defended, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and four interceptions. That’s the kind of stat line that tells you a player isn’t just hanging around - he’s making things happen.
The 2025 season only sharpened that profile. Williams played in 16 games and started 15, finishing with 100 tackles, 48 solo stops, four tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, five passes defended and three interceptions. According to PFF, opposing quarterbacks posted an 80.9 passer rating when targeting him.
What stands out with Williams is how complete his game already looks. He brings physicality, but he’s not just a thumper near the line.
He has the range to cover ground, and he has the versatility to handle different jobs in the secondary. Playing alongside All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney certainly helps, but Williams has done enough on his own to make people wonder whether his own All-Pro recognition is coming next.
Williams put that mindset plainly when he said, “I definitely pride myself on my physicality, as well as kind of just being able to do a little bit of everything. I feel like the first thing that people look at when they look at a safety is can he tackle?
Can he tackle in the open field? Yeah, you get in a gap, you got to be ready for some of the things that are coming with the box.
But, yeah, definitely something I hang my hat on is being a physical safety when I need to be and, when I get back, I can show my range a little bit.”
That blend of force and feel is why Williams is climbing so quickly. If he stays healthy, the trajectory points toward another big year in 2026, and the Packers appear to have found a defensive cornerstone in the making.
In Other News...
Packers Players Spark Debate With Their Night Out In Chicago
Several Packers players made the trip to Soldier Field in Chicago for Night 2 of Yes homecoming concert, taking in a show that drew 70,000 fans and featured multiple special guests. Jordan Love, Micah Parsons and Dani-Dennis Sutton were among the players who shared upbeat reactions on social media, giving the outing a little extra visibility at a time when every public appearance by prominent athletes tends to travel fast.
Yes return to touring in the United States after several years made the concert a noteworthy event on its own, and the Packers presence only added to the conversation around it. For a team whose players are already under the microscope, a night like this can quickly become more than just a night off, especially when reactions from the locker room start to circulate before the next round of football headlines takes over. [Read more 🡒]
Packers May Have An Undrafted Receiver Fans Can't Ignore
J. Michael Sturdivant did enough in the preseason to make the Packers keep paying attention, and for an undrafted rookie receiver, that is no small feat. A six-catch, 112-yard game helped him turn a camp body label into a legitimate roster spot, and it came at a time when Green Bay was sorting out a receiver room that already features Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden at the top.
Sturdivant is not being asked to step in as a primary target, but his size and speed give the Packers another different look in the passing game. The expectation is that he can help stretch the field and work the sidelines, the kind of role that can matter even without a heavy target share, especially if Green Bay keeps looking for depth behind its established receivers. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Pass Rush Gamble Will Get An Early Reality Check
With Micah Parsons recovering, the Packers are asking a lot from a pass rush built around youth, opportunity and projection. Lukas Van Ness and Barryn Sorrell are expected to be front and center early, and Green Bays first three weeks of the 2026 season should offer a cleaner look at how ready that group really is when the pressure starts to build.
The schedule is soft enough to give the Packers some breathing room, but it also means the evaluation could come quickly if the edge rush does not show up as hoped. If Van Ness and Sorrell struggle to make the kind of impact Green Bay wants, the front office may not wait long before exploring veteran help, with names like Josh Sweat or Maxx Crosby looming as possible fixes. [Read more 🡒]