Surprised/Not Surprised: Packers Draft Evan Williams

After a strong couple seasons at Fresno State, Evan Williams had an impactful final season at Oregon in 2023.

Evan Williams / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Evan Williams’ phone rang at the start of Day 3 of the NFL Draft. It was the Green Bay Packers.

He didn’t think much of it.

“I was just sitting expecting to take the first few calls, kind of just the introduction calls, telling them how we feel or how the day is going,” Williams said in a Zoom call on Saturday. “That was I think the second call of the day; I was just expecting more of that. He says, ‘I’m going to put you on with our GM,’ and I was like, ‘There’s no way.’ It almost felt unreal. I was a little speechless talking to head coach LaFleur and all the coaches. It was a pretty unreal moment.”

The Packers traded up in the fourth round to select Williams, giving up a sixth-round pick to move up from No. 126 to No. 110.

“He’s smart. He’s instinctive,” said scout Sam Seale, whose home base is the West Coast. “He’s a good kid and he makes tackles. He makes plays around the ball. He’s always around the ball. He’s a football player.”

Williams spent his first four seasons at Fresno State, including recording 90 tackles and three interceptions en route to earning first-team all-Mountain West honors in 2021. He was first-team all-conference again in 2022, despite missing four games with a knee injury. Had he stayed healthy and replicated his success, he might have entered the draft after that season.

Instead, he came back in 2023 – at a new school, as he transferred to Oregon.

“I wanted my last year to be a real prove-it year,” he said. “I just figured I wanted to go against the best competition and really be in an unfamiliar spot, because I feel like that really stimulates growth. Just wanted a place with all the resources and all the coaches and just the system to help me grow as an individual and as a player. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

In 13 games, Williams recorded 82 tackles. While he had zero interceptions and only two passes defensed, he had 4.5 sacks and five tackles for losses.

Of his defensive snaps, 290 came in the box, 271 came at free safety and 165 in the slot.

“I think that variability, being able to play in the post, play near the line of scrimmage and make plays around the ball, I feel like that's definitely something that sets me apart, just kind of being a do-it-all guy, being able to make those plays,” he said. 

“Once you get the chance to blitz, I feel like I was pretty effective last year and looking to maybe get some of those sack numbers up, just cause havoc in the backfield. I feel like that translates really well into this league.”

At the Senior Bowl, Williams was named the best safety on his team; Packers second-round pick Javon Bullard was the other team’s top safety. At the Scouting Combine, he measured 5-foot-11 1/4 and 200 pounds. While he ran a disappointing 40 (4.60 seconds), he put up excellent numbers in the vertical (40 1/2 inches) and 20-yard shuttle (4.08 seconds).

The Packers met with him at both events.

“A lot of coaches on the staff pointed to my motor and just how hard I’m going on each and every play,” he said. “I’m not one to brag about myself, but I think … just being around the ball and just causing havoc, I think that put me pretty high on their board.”

Then he had a predraft Zoom interview with the team.

“I met with all their coaches. All of them sat in our Zoom meeting (and) we were talking ball,” Williams said. “So, I had a pretty good idea that they were pretty high on me. This is something that I’ve dreamed of for a long time. Yeah, a little speechless. I have no words to say.”

Evan Williams breaks up a pass. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

2024 NFL Draft

Day 3: Live Updates

Day 2: Javon Bullard | Edgerrin Cooper | Marshawn Lloyd | 

Our Day 2 draft grades | National Day 2 draft grades | National Day 1 grades

First Round: Jordan Morgan | Short arms | Our grade