The trials and tribulations of the Packers’ 2026 season have long been documented, but it hasn’t been without its merits. We are witnessing the emergence of one of the best young secondary units in football, as evidenced by the honors handed to safety Evan Williams and cornerback Brandon Cisse for their outstanding contributions in October.
The NFL announced that Williams won the NFC Defensive Player of the Month award, and Cisse won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month award, both for October. Green Bay won four of its five games in October, in large part due to the relentless contributions of these two standouts in the secondary.
According to the NFL, Williams became the third safety since the year 2,000 with at least 40 tackles and three forced turnovers in a month, and the first player to do so in 15 years. He’s not only one of the NFL‘s leading tacklers this year, but PFF has him graded as the best safety in the entire league through eight weeks.
Cisse became the first Packers cornerback to win Defensive Rookie of the Month since Damarious Randall in 2015. He contributed 21 tackles, seven passes defended, two tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception last month. The 52nd overall pick in this year’s draft was the only defensive back with at least 20 tackles and a pick in October.
This collection of elite talent in the secondary is proving to be exactly what Jonathan Gannon needed to see his vision through in his first year as Defensive Coordinator.
Evan Williams and Brandon Cisse are setting the tone for the rest of the Green Bay Packers defense.
Much of the excitement surrounding the Packers' defense has been attributed to the past rush, and rightfully so. Led by rookie standout Dani Dennis-Sutton and the 13th overall pick in 2023, Lukas Van Ness, Green Bay has managed to create one of the best pass-rushing units in all of football while patiently awaiting Micah Parsons' return.
That makes it easy to forget just how great this secondary has been to start the season. It hasn’t been perfect every game, but their ability to hone in on big plays and break up pinpoint passes is among the best in the NFL. They are currently ranked third in yards per completion, third in opposing passer rating, and sixth in passing yards allowed this season.
There were questions about how this secondary would hold up with so many young players adapting to a new defense under Jonathan Gannon. Those concerns were quickly put to rest, as Gannon‘s scheme allows them to play to their strengths with a physical style and game-breaking upside.
Williams and Cisse are huge parts of that, but they aren’t alone, either. All pro safety Javier McKinney remains one of the best in the league, and defensive back Javon Bullard has earned his spot as a high-impact starter.
Although this group may not be battle-tested in the postseason, they play with a chip on their shoulder, and they play the right way. If you're a Green Bay Packers fan, it doesn’t get much better than that.
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