After trading back on Day 2 to acquire more picks, the Packers opened Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft by using some of that capital to trade up to select Evan Williams with the 111th overall pick in the 4th round.

After already addressing the Safety position in Free Agency with Xavier McKinney and in the draft with Javon Bullard, the Packers felt the need to add more depth to the Defensive Back Room and traded the 190th pick in the 6th round to jump up and draft Williams.

Analysis:

Last year, as a 5th year senior for the Oregon Ducks, Evan had a team-high 82 tackles (5 for loss), including 4.5 sacks, and two pass breakups. In his four years at Fresno State, Williams had 226 tackles (11 for loss) with four interceptions, 12 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. The Green Bay Packers, as we know, love drafting Senior Bowl standouts. Williams made three tackles and intercepted Tennessee’s Joe Milton III in the end zone during the Senior Bowl this year.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Williams ran the 40-yard dash in 4.60 seconds (tied for 14th among 19 safeties), had a 40.5-inch vertical jump (second among 20 safeties) and a 10-foot-6 broad jump (fourth).

According to Dane Bruggler, Evan is known to play with a physical, rugged demeanor. He is quick to trigger as a run defender and has a competitive urgency which ensures he doesn’t take any plays off. Williams has a strong football IQ to decipher moving parts and focus on his keys with has the athletic footwork to match up with Tight Ends and Running Backs in coverage. He was active on special-teams coverage (466 career snaps) and has a blocked punt and blocked extra point attempt on his resume. NFL scouts report Williams has a good head on his shoulders, and his personality (on the field and off) will fit well in NFL locker rooms.

Team Fit:

As outlined by the CheeseheadTV draft guide, “Safety was certainly a position the Packers wanted to overhaul going into the 2024 season. In 2023, Darnell Savage, Rudy Ford, and Jonathan Owens were the preferred starters at safety, with Owens the only safety able to play all 17 games for the Packers.” It now looks likely none will be Packers in 2024. A complete rebuild was in order. Adding Evan Williams to the new Safety room starring Xavier McKinney and Javon Bullard, the Packers have established the foundation of a completely new-look back-end to their defense for Coach Hafley to deploy.