Green Bay Packers 2021 NFL Draft Prospects to Know: CB Trill Williams

I’m sure that most will agree that the Green Bay Packers’ biggest need this offseason is at the cornerback position. While Jaire Alexander has his side of the field locked down, as it currently stands, the Packers will have to rely on either Josh Jackson, Stanford Samuels, KeiVarae Russell, or Ka’dar Hollman as the other boundary corner if, for whatever reason, they didn’t address the need.

It also wouldn’t hurt to bring in some competition at the nickel position, as Chandon Sullivan — along with Keving King — was picked on quite often by Tom Brady in the NFC Championship Game.

So yeah, whether it be in free agency or in the draft, it’s safe to say that the Green Bay Packers will add to their cornerback room. And one name that fans should know is Trill Williams from Syracuse–someone who Green Bay has reportedly already met with as part of the pre-draft process.

Williams is a three-year contributor at Syracuse, making 14 starts and appearing in 24 games during that span. At 6’2″ – 198 pounds, Williams has excellent size and was an extremely versatile chess piece for the Syracuse defense.

He appeared in only five games this past season before suffering an injury and declaring for the NFL Draft, but in 2019, Williams played 336 snaps from the slot, another 149 out wide, 30 as the free safety, 20 on the defensive line, and 19 in the box, according to Pro Football Focus ($).

This past season, Williams allowed 14 completions on 21 targets but only for 9.5 yards per catch. He surrendered only one touchdown while coming away with an interception, four pass breakups, and a passer rating of just 80.1 when targeted.

For a larger sample size, in 2019, Williams allowed a completion rate of 64 percent on 39 targets for 13.8 yards per catch with two touchdowns given up, one interception, two pass breakups, and a passer rating of 98.7.

For a closer look at Williams’ game and what he can provide the Green Bay Packers, here is what Joe Marino of The Draft Network had to say in his pre-draft evaluation:

"“While he is versatile and has appeal in any role, I like him best at wide corner. Williams is long, rangy, athletic, physical, and aggressive. His physical skill set is exceptional and he doesn’t have any restrictions. He is springy and explosive, capable of thriving in both man and zone coverage.With that said, he does have room to grow when it comes to anticipatory skills and there were some instances where he didn’t get his head around to the football with his back to the line of scrimmage. He had three return touchdowns in his three seasons in college and has a knack for coming up with big plays. For a team looking for a versatile defensive back that can be a matchup-neutralizer, Williams has the physical gifts to do that.”"

There is a lot to like here when it comes to what Williams can offer. There is, of course, his positional versatility, but as Joe points out, there’s also that playmaking ability with three career touchdowns, his ability to play man or zone coverages, and being a “matchup-neutralizer.”

Over at the NFL Mock Draft Database, where they keep tabs on mock drafts and prospect rankings, Williams has typically been a third or fourth-round selection in mock drafts. As of now, the Mock Draft Database has him projected as a Day 3 pick based on their 2021 consensus big board–which is compiled based on 23 available big boards. However, as we all know, that can change very quickly.

For another perspective, Pro Football Focus has Williams as their 128th rated player overall and 21st rated cornerback in this year’s class. Meanwhile, The Draft Network is much higher on Williams, ranking him as their 70th best prospect and 10th best cornerback.

As I mentioned in the beginning, the Green Bay Packers have already met with Williams, so he is clearly on their radar. And given his skill-set and what he brings to a defense, it is easy to see why.