After completing his prep days at Rocky Mountain High School, Jonah Williams had a single offer to consider if he wanted to continue his football career.
Fortunately for the defensive lineman, Weber State came calling. Located in Ogden, Utah, the small school with a football stadium capacity of 17,312 is a strong FCS program.
The New Orleans Saints’ offseason addition played in 54 contests for the Wildcats, making 52 starts. He collected 194 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and three blocked kicks. One of those blocks, a punt, he recovered and returned 31 yards for a score in 2017 against Sacramento State.
The Wildcats made the FCS playoffs in four consecutive seasons, advancing to the quarterfinals in three of those (2016–2019) during Williams’ time there. As a senior, he earned First Team All-American, First Team All-Big Sky, and Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors while piling up 62 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks—including three in a single outing against Nevada. He was also recognized with Conference All-Academic honors all four seasons.
Williams aspired to model his game after some of the NFL’s best pass rushers.
“I was a late bloomer,” he stated. “I grew a lot my senior year [of high school]. I thought J.J. Watt, being a similar size (6-5, 285), could physically do things I was capable of doing. I had to put my mind to it. I knew I could. I watched him a lot.”
Observing Watt’s enormous statistics—the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and five-time First Team All-Pro finished with 114.5 career sacks—was awe-inspiring. As a 2020 undrafted free agent, Williams signed with the Los Angeles Rams and had a chance to observe some of the league’s premier interior linemen, including Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers.
“As a rookie, I was around them a lot,” said the 6-5, 295-pound Williams. “A’Shawn Robinson was also a big influence on me while I was there. I watched how he played the 4-I [head up on the tackle in a two-gap look], making plays in both gaps. I learned a lot from all of them.”
Coincidentally, current Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley held the same role with the Rams during Jonah’s rookie campaign. Staley consistently emphasized the importance of versatility—in both scheme and skill set. The Rams employed a balanced 3-4 alignment that could shift into a 3-3-5 or even a 5-1-5 look. It mirrored the Saints’ defensive system from the late ’80s and early ’90s, designed by Steve Sidwell under head coach Jim Mora.
“In 2020, while with the Rams playing under Brandon Staley, I was 270 lbs. and playing outside linebacker. That was my skill set. I had come from a 4-3 system [at Weber State], and then I was told to report at 295 lbs. I played all along the defensive line, including nose tackle. You just have to know when and where you’re going to get thrown in. The more you can do, the better.”
Williams spent four seasons with the Rams, including being part of the Super Bowl LVI championship team following the 2021 campaign—a 23-20 win over Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and the Cincinnati Bengals. He soon realized that being a Swiss Army knife along the D-line could lead to opportunity in the NFL.
“I played 4-I [over the tackle], then would be bumped out to 5-tech. I played some 2-tech, then I’d line up at 6-tech [wide] a lot. That’s kind of my bread and butter, but I’ve been inside at 2 and 3-technique as well.”
Williams’ best season came in 2023, when he logged a career-high 763 defensive snaps with 17 starts, totaling 49 tackles and four tackles for loss. He learned how to handle the added weight along with the extra responsibilities.
“When I first put on the extra 25 lbs. during my rookie season, I felt it in my knees and ankles. Trying to adapt to playing with that weight was different. I feel comfortable now, and it allows me to do a lot of things. I feel great going into year six.”
After spending the 2024 season with three different teams—the Rams, Vikings, and Lions—he now appreciates the situation he’s found himself in with the Black and Gold, once again under Brandon Staley in a defense he feels suits him.
“I always liked his defense because he puts us in a good position to make plays. It’s a player-type defense,” the thickly built 29-year-old said. “Some defenses require the D-line to take on vicious combo blocks. Staley likes to put guys on the defensive line in advantageous positions to make plays.”
“I’m excited to get back to the way things were for me in 2023. To keep learning different defenses each year is tough,” he elaborated on the multiple stops he had last year. “I’m here with a defense that I know and understand. I’m excited to be here.”
Jonah is on a one-year prove-it deal with the Saints. He feels up to the task on the field, but admits it’s been a challenge adjusting to the culture in the Big Easy.
“This is all foreign to me,” he chuckled. “I grew up in Washington, lived in Idaho through high school and college, and now I live in Utah. The South is a foreign country to me.”
He’s eagerly anticipating playing in front of the ardent, passionate Who Dat faithful.
“I do know that the Superdome and the Saints’ gameday environment is awesome. I discovered that when I was with the Rams. The people are just so nice here—I noticed that right away. I’ve loved the way I’ve been treated here.”
