The Green Bay Packers traded up 15 spots in the fourth round of the 2024 draft to select Oregon defensive back Evan Williams at No. 111 overall.
Williams was the second of three safety types to be drafted by the Packers, joining second-round pick Javon Bullard and fifth-round pick Kitan Oladapo. Like the two others, Williams is versatile and athletic, and he’s one of the most experienced players in the class.
Here are five things to know about Williams, the Packers’ only fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft:
Oct 29, 2022; Fresno, California, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs defensive back Evan Williams (32) walks towards the field before the start of the game against the San Diego State Aztecs at Valley Children’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Williams played in 52 games with 45 starts across four seasons at Fresno State (2019-22) and one at Oregon (2023). He had plans to enter the NFL following the 2022 season at Fresno State, but a knee injury and overall unhappiness with his performance during his final season led him back, and he transferred to Oregon for 2023. Williams was a three-time All-Mountain West selection at Fresno State and a second-team All-Pac 12 pick in 2023. Overall, he produced 307 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, four interceptions and 19 pass breakups. Williams was on the field for 2,830 defensive snaps and 466 special teams snaps, making him one of the most experienced defensive backs in the draft class. A Senior Bowl invitee, Williams was named the top safety on the National team.
Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Evan Williams (33) against the Liberty Flames during the 2024 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Neither Oregon nor Fresno State sent Williams on a barrage of blitzes, but when he was asked to get after the quarterback, he often produced. In 2023, Williams created eight pressures and 4.5 sacks (most among Pac-12 defensive backs) on just 20 pass-rushing snaps. Overall, Williams finished his collegiate career with 32 quarterback pressures on only 66 pass-rushing snaps. He showed an ability to time out blitzes and elude blockers going downhill. Can Jeff Hafley and the Packers find creative ways of using Williams as a blitzer in Green Bay?
Feb 3, 2024; Mobile, AL, USA; National defensive back Evan Williams of Oregon (3) celebrates his interception during the first half of the 2024 Senior Bowl football game at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
Tackling is a mixed bag for Williams. He led Oregon in tackles in 2023 and also led all safeties in the 2024 draft class in stops, a metric PFF uses to describe tackles creating an offensive failure. Williams knows how to find the football, and he’ll create disruptive plays with an aggressive, downhill playstyle. But there are also misses: Williams missed 10 or more tackles in each of the last three seasons and ended his collegiate career with 56 misses, per PFF. His career miss rate is 15.3 percent, which is higher than you’d like at safety. To be fair to his 2023 season, Williams had a hand injury and was wearing a protective club for multiple games. His shorter arms (30.5″) and average overall size (200 pounds) might make tackling a challenge at the NFL level.
“He’s smart, he’s instinctive, he’s a good kid, he makes tackles, makes play around the ball. He’s always around the ball,” national scout Sam Seale said.
Williams has a fascinating and unique size/athleticism profile. He is certainly undersized at 5-11 and 200 pounds, with a wingspan in the 11th percentile at the position. He also had an average 40-yard dash time and an underwhelming three-cone finish. But Williams has huge hands, elite jumping numbers and a blazing short shuttle time. Will these strengths and weaknesses show up on his NFL tape? In many ways, Williams plays like a box safety in a free safety body. Check out his Mockdraftable profile — his spider chart of athleticism is nothing if not unique.
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – MAY 03: Evan Williams #33 of the Green Bay Packers participates in drills during the rookie minicamp at Ray Nitschke Field on May 03, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Packers believe Williams can play any of the safety spots and down in the nickel, giving him the versatility and interchangeability that the defense requires at the position. Williams played all over the defensive schemes at both Fresno State and Oregon, so he has no lack of experience at several spots entering the NFL.
“With Williams in particular, he’s played more safety but especially at the Senior Bowl you watched him and change directions and do those kinda things, he was a very, very efficient mover in short space, which is what you’d like your nickel to be. So we felt pretty good about that,” said vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan.
The Packers see Williams as a smart and physical defensive back who can wear multiple hats in the secondary.
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