The Packers certainly seemed to like the result, trading 15 slots in the fourth round to acquire Williams and giving up a sixth-round pick to the Jets in exchange.
Green Bay national scout Sam Seale, who spent most of his long scouting career on the West Coast, said Williams was squarely on the radar at Fresno State. He has since proven he can transition seamlessly into a new program and system, which should bode well for him moving up to the NFL.
“It took him a while to get used to Oregon, but I thought by the second or third game of the year when he got used to it, he started to look more like the player he was when he played in Fresno,” Seal said. Ta.
“He's smart, he's instinctive, he's a good kid, he makes tackles. He's always around the ball.”
He often played quarterback during his final year at Oregon, playing closer to the line of scrimmage and sometimes being called on blitzes. He recorded four and a half sacks, an impressive number for a defensive back and tied for second-most among all FBS DBs.
In his pre-draft meetings with the Packers (at the Senior Bowl, the Combine, and with multiple coaches via Zoom), Williams said new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley was impressed with his incredible ability and how it would improve his pressure package. Some suggested they liked how it fit.
This gave Williams the idea that the Packers valued him highly, and now he will join Green Bay with fellow safety draft pick Javon Bullard, a second-round pick out of Georgia. Ta.
The two safeties were standouts at the Senior Bowl and were named the most outstanding players at their positions on their respective teams. Williams calls Bullard “my guy” and “ridiculously physical,” and is now looking forward to being teammates with him.
He considers himself a player who can “wreak havoc” with his “tenacity” and “movement.”
Williams admitted he was a little speechless when he got the call from the Packers early Saturday, probably expecting to have to wait longer to be selected.
But he's a typical Packers draft pick who shows versatility in terms of positional adjustment and skill, and he also played special teams in college, where he probably has the chance to make the biggest impact as a rookie. right.
“He's a good guy and a great fit for our locker room,” Seal said. “We don't need to worry about him.”