Packers 2022 NFL Draft Prospects to Know: Edge Sam Williams

The Green Bay Packers may have Rashan Gary and Preston Smith, two of the more productive edge rushers in football last season, but the overall depth of the position is a question mark.

Without Gary or Smith on the field last season, there was a noticeable drop-off in play. And while yes, that’s likely always going to be the case to some degree, the Packers need more from their third or fourth edge rushers on the roster.

So with there being a need and edge rusher being a premier position, along with it being a heavily rotated one as well, don’t be surprised to see the Green Bay Packers spend some draft capital on this position in this upcoming draft.

One name, in particular, to keep your eyes on is Sam Williams from Ole Miss. In fact, the Packers are reportedly using one of their 30 pre-draft visits on Williams.

Williams measured in at 6’3” – 261 pounds and tested very well at the NFL combine—posting a RAS score of 9.55 out of 10, which included a 4.46-second 40-yard dash.

He has three years of playing experience at Ole Miss, totaling 1,704 career snaps. In 2019 and 2020, Williams would record 51 total pressures along with 10 sacks. This past season, however, was his breakout year as he was one of the most productive edge rushers in college football.

In a larger role that included 725 snaps, Williams logged 61 pressures, which was the sixth most among edge rushers, 13 sacks that tied for the fourth most, and his 37 stops tied for ninth. Williams also finished the season as PFF’s 18th highest pass-rushing grade among all edge rushers.

Williams took a majority of his snaps lined up in the traditional edge rushing role, with a few inside, and he also has 167 career special teams snaps. Williams was a Senior Bowl invitee as well, however, as noted below, one area that he will have to improve upon is against the run.

For more on Williams, here is what Drae Harris of The Draft Network said about him in his scouting report:

"“The passing game is where he thrives. He has improved his get-off from 2020 to 2021. He is good at converting speed to power to win in the edge and is strong enough to defeat double teams when he is in 4i or 5-technique. While he has also improved with regards to counters, he still isn’t the most loose-hipped athlete on the edge and it shows in these instances.”"

For an additional perspective, this is what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had to say as well:

"“Despite his troubling performance versus the run, Williams’ pass-rush flashes tend to leave a more lasting impression. He was often overmatched and pummeled at the point of attack, failing to play with the effort and grit needed to stand up to SEC linemen. As a rusher, he gets off the ball quickly and attacks the pocket with the bend and hand work to gain entry into the backfield from a variety of angles.”"

Over at the Mock Draft Database, which compiles dozens of big boards and hundreds of mock drafts from draft analysts around the internet, Williams is ranked as the 87th overall prospect in this draft class and is projected as a third-round pick. At The Draft Network, Williams is No. 73 on their big board.

If Williams were selected by Green Bay, he would be entering a very favorable situation. He’d still have the opportunity to play an important role, likely seeing the field in obvious passing situations, while on a team with Super Bowl aspirations. But with Gary and Smith to lean on, he doesn’t have to be the guy right away either and can be brought along slowly, similarly to what the Packers did with Gary in 2019.