Packers 2024 Rookie Reveals Coaches' Early Tough Love Helped Growth

The Green Bay Packers had 11 total draft picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. They were able to add an influx of young talent to their roster and a couple of these players played a role in the team's success.

Despite these young guys stepping up throughout the course of last season, it wasn't smooth sailing at first. One player who expressed he was surprised he didn't get a single snap in Week 1 was safety Evan Williams.

As a guest on the "Packer Transplants 298" podcast, Williams revealed he was surprised that he didn't log a single snap in the opener against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.

Williams said, "It was really just a reality check. A little humility was thrown my way. That's the only way you can take it really."

Evan Williams Was Surprised He Didn’t Play in Week 1 of His Rookie Season

That was a surprising development for Williams considering he was a standout during training camp. Despite that, he had to work his way up to land more playing time for the Packers. Over the next 12 games, Williams played in at least 30% of the defensive snaps.

In his rookie season, Williams finished with 49 total tackles, three pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one interception. According to PFF, he had a 72.6 overall grade (34th among 171 graded safeties) and a 72.1 coverage grade (24th among 171 graded safeties).

Although he didn't get any reps in his first NFL game, he didn't let that affect his mental. Instead, he put his head down and went to work. That type of mentality is what you want in your building. Having players strive for greatness over pouting about playing time shows the Packers brought the right guy in.

Green Bay has built a strong foundation of young players and Williams in now one piece to the puzzle.

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