The four safeties with the most snaps for the Green Bay Packers in 2023 were Jonathan Owens (69.7%), Rudy Ford (56.35%), Darnell Savage (50.2%), and Anthony Johnson Jr. (27.2%). All of them are out of the roster at this point, and general manager Brian Gutekunst has completely rebuilt the room.
Xavier McKinney has deservedly received most of the praise. After all, the big free agent signing is playing at an All-Pro level. But it's not only him.
On Sunday, against the Los Angeles Rams, former Oregon fourth-round rookie Evan Williams played a bigger role and showed he can be the perfect piece to round out the unit — and to give defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley an impressive amount of flexibility.
Role and performance
Hafley is using McKinney and second-round rookie Javon Bullard as starting safeties. Initially, that was the only option — in week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Williams didn't play a single defensive snap.
Eventually, they started to move players around a little more. Without Jaire Alexander on Sunday, Hafley tested Keisean Nixon as a boundary corner and Bullard in the slot, giving more space for Evan Williams to play.
And he did it at a high level.
Williams started at safety for the first time, playing all 78 defensive snaps alongside McKinney. In the slot, Bullard played 57 snaps (73%).
The big play was the decisive fourth-down stop to end the game, but the rookie was solid the entire game. He was targeted six times, allowing three receptions for only 19 yards. The game included two pass breakups. In four games in which he played defensive snaps this year, Williams has allowed a 29.7 passer rating when targeted — this is worse for the quarterback than spiking the ball on every play, which would generate a 39.6 passer rating.
Evan Williams finished the game with an 81.9 defensive grade by PFF, including an 82.6 coverage grade.
Passer rating allowed
- Xavier McKinney: 1.2
- Evan Williams: 29.7
- Spike on every play: 39.6
- Javon Bullard: 94.8
His intelligence is a big weapon, and how he sensed a Rams pattern to make the decisive play is a special outcome for a rookie.
"They'd run that quite a few times. I got a fourth-down stop on it in the red zone. Just a little follow route where tight end is at three, they motion one down and just erase, trying to get the post player out of it, and the tight end will run a little stutter and try to cross my face. I was in man on them both times," Williams explained after the game. "So yeah, I just kinda had a good feel for the route at the end of the game. They had run it so many times. I didn't think he was gonna try to break out and try to make a long throw, so yes, I was kinda just sitting on it. He broke back in, was able to get my hand in there, celebrated with the crowd."
Whenever Jaire Alexander gets back to the defense, it will be harder to play Evan Williams and Javon Bullard at the same time. However, Williams has been the better safety, and he deserves to keep receiving opportunities.
