John Williams barely had a chance to get his Packers story started before it was put on pause.
The former Cincinnati Bearcats guard, taken with the 250th pick in last year’s draft, missed his entire rookie season because of a back injury. Now that he’s finally back on the field in training camp, he’s already giving Green Bay reason to pay attention.
General manager Brian Gutekunst said Williams has been moving all over the offensive line, handling left guard, left tackle and center as the Packers sort through the back end of the depth chart.
“For what he's done so far in a week, it's been pretty impressive given the fact he hasn't played football in a year,” Gutekunst said. “They've moved him all around.
I think he's played almost all five spots, which is music to my ears. At some point, I think he'll start to settle in somewhere so we can get a really good look at him.
I'm excited to see the preseason games and see what he can do there.”
That kind of versatility matters in a camp where Green Bay still has decisions to make. With seven roster spots likely spoken for, including veteran backup Darian Kinnard and rookie Jager Burton, the Packers are still filling out the rest of the room. Williams is in the mix for one of the final openings alongside third-year guard/center Jacob Monk and tackle Travis Glover, who was also sidelined for all of 2025 after being drafted in 2024.
Monk has already turned heads in camp, picking up first-team reps in recent practices. Glover gives the Packers another possible source of tackle depth. Williams, meanwhile, brings a different kind of appeal: he’s still something of a blank slate after a lost year, and that can work both ways.
The missed season put him behind before camp even started, and as a late seventh-round pick he still has plenty to prove. But the fact that he can line up at multiple spots gives him a chance to stay in the conversation even if Green Bay eventually narrows him down to one position for preseason work.
There’s also a practical angle here. If Williams is going to make the 2026 roster, it may take the Packers carrying nine offensive linemen instead of eight.
That’s not out of the question, especially with injury concerns at right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele and left guard Aaron Banks. If Monk locks down one of the available spots, the last seat could come down to Williams and Glover.
Preseason should offer the clearest read yet, especially with so little film on either player. And even if Williams ends up on the practice squad, that wouldn’t necessarily be the end of the road. He could still build enough standing in the organization to get elevated during the season if injuries hit, or to put himself in position for next year’s 53-man roster.
“I’m sure he's pretty eager to get out there,” said Gutekunst.
You bet. After a year lost to injury, Williams has a real chance to make his name matter again.
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