Paul Bretl | 9/14/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — From the sounds of it, one change that we can expect to see defensively from the Packers on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts is that at some point, rookie safety Evan Williams will be on the field.
In the Packers Week 1 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, Williams didn’t register any defensive snaps.
“We do believe Evan deserves to play,” said defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley on Thursday, “and I think Evan, I know Evan has had a really good week of practice this week, and I’d anticipate Evan having a role going forward and I’m excited what he can do. So yeah, we need to have 33 have a role.”
Williams rotated with fellow rookie Javon Bullard for much of the summer, each having their share of opportunities to line up next to Xavier McKinney. The Packers did this to, one, get each player reps because a competition for playing time was taking place, and, two, with an emphasis on interchangeability, the Packers wanted both safeties comfortable taking snaps next to McKinney while filling different roles–whether that be playing deep or close to the line of scrimmage.
In the final few weeks of camp, it became clear that Bullard had pulled ahead of Williams in that competition, with the first-team rotation between the two all but disappearing
But nonetheless, Williams had certainly impressed throughout the summer. The decision to start Bullard very much seemed to be much more of a credit to him for seizing that playing time and not because Williams had really done anything drastic to lose the battle.
When the Packers first drafted Williams back in April, long-time scout Sam Seale described Williams has smart, instinctive, and someone who is always around the football. Those qualities were on display for the duration of training camp, with Williams recording a handful of interceptions in practice, along with forcing a fumble in the Packers’ preseason opener against Cleveland.
“Evan is a ballhawk,” said Jaire Alexander. “He reminds me a lot of Micah Hyde. Something always around the ball. Someone able to make plays. Just naturally too, man. He just has a knack for it. I can’t wait to see him on the field.”
Packers VP of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan would mention after the draft the “aggressive play-style” that Williams–along with Bullard and Kitan Oladapo–bring to the Packers’ secondary. We saw this quality from Williams in how he flew around the field and in the physicality he brought as a tackler, specifically in that Browns game where he totaled six tackles in only 23 snaps.
So now the question is, if in fact Williams is going to see playing time moving forward, how are the Packers going to get him on the field?
Given Bullard’s experience as a slot defender at Georgia, and we did see him take snaps there this summer, he could fill that role with Williams lining up next to McKinney. However, while I suppose that is an option, it doesn’t sound like an option that is going to be explored at this time.
“Keisean, who I think played a really good game, he was physical, very physical in the run game,” Hafley said. “I thought he covered well. Had a big hit on the quarterback, a sack or close to a sack on the wrap and roll tackle. He had an opportunity to have a pick six and change the game, so I like the way we attacked the ball.”
Instead, I would guess that the Packers have Williams filling in for Bullard in specific situations. I would still expect that when the game is over, Bullard will have played more snaps, but perhaps there will be certain packages when Williams takes his spot on the field. Or maybe it could be as simple as when in nickel, Bullard is out there and when in base it’s Williams.
The potential opportunity that it sounds like Williams will see moving forward isn’t about Bullard’s play or what he didn’t do in Week 1; rather, it’s about making sure you get a good football player snaps because he can make an impact. It just so happens that accomplishing that will take some maneuvering with the talent that the Packers now have at the safety position.
“I think first and foremost it’s the players we have,” said defensive backs coach Ryan Downard. “The players, those guys have made it a point of emphasis to go after the ball. I think they’re playing fast, I think the rules are simple, they’re detailed, but they’re simple and efficient.
“When you give guys the ability, they know what their job is, and then they’re able to get their cleats in the ground and execute, then I think they play faster, and I think a smarter football player usually tends to make more plays on the ball, because they put themselves in position to make those plays.”