Rising from a fourth-round pick to a defensive cornerstone, Evan Williams pairs physicality with ball-hawk instincts as he chases league-wide notoriety in 2026 with the Green Bay Packers.
We're officially 9 days from the start of the 2026 NFL season for the Green Bay Packers. Whether you're ready or not, football season is here.
The Packers kick off their 2026 season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 13, from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Talk about pressure. The Vikings are certainly in a transitional place as a franchise, but getting going against an NFC North foe ratchets up the intensity of this season from the get-go.
It's a big season for the Packers. There's a belief that they're in a Super Bowl window right now, which means every single game is important. That means the intensity will be there in Week 2 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets and it will certainly be there in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, when the Packers will play at Lambeau Field for the first time in 2026.
There's going to be a lot of proverbial ink spilled on this 2026 season and we here at PackersRoundtable hope that you spend as much time as possible with us talking about the ins and outs and ups and downs of the Packers.
As we prepare for the 2026 season, though, we're going to kick things off with a rankings series looking at the Top 50 Packers heading into the 2025 season.
At No. 9 we have safety Evan Williams
Ranking the Top 50 Packers Heading Into 2026: No. 9, Evan Williams
Dec 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Green Bay Packers safety Evan Williams (33) runs downfield during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images.Evan Williams is an ascending superstar for the Packers. Is he aided by playing next to an All-Pro safety in Xavier McKinney? Absolutely. Is he worthy of consideration for his own All-Pro honor? The 2026 season will answer that question, but Williams is certainly trending in that direction.
He's got a nose for the ball, he's deceptively physical and he's as versatile as a safety as you'll find in the league.
In two seasons with the Pack since being selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Oregon, Williams has done nothing but fill up the stat sheet. In 29 games played with 21 starts, he's notched 149 tackles (79 solo), five tackles for loss, eight passes defended, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and four interceptions.
He's gotten better and better with every game, and as long as he stays healthy, the sky is the limit.
2025 Synopsis:
In 16 games with 15 starts, Williams notched 100 tackles (48 solo), four tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, five passes defended and three interceptions. He allowed an 80.9 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks, per PFF.
Notable Quotables:
“I definitely pride myself on my physicality, as well as kind of just being able to do a little bit of everything. I feel like the first thing that people look at when they look at a safety is can he tackle? Can he tackle in the open field? Yeah, you get in a gap, you got to be ready for some of the things that are coming with the box. But, yeah, definitely something I hang my hat on is being a physical safety when I need to be and, when I get back, I can show my range a little bit.” - Evan Williams
2026 Projection:
Williams should at least be a second-team All-Pro this season for the Packers. As long as he stays healthy, he's going to be a great player for this team.
Previous Rankings:
