The Green Bay Packers hit the jackpot when they signed Xavier McKinney in free agency in 2024. He earned First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in his debut season with the Green and Gold, ranking second among safeties in coverage grade and second in interceptions. He also allowed a 56.4 passer rating when targeted — the seventh-lowest among safeties with at least 100 coverage snaps. His breakout year was recognized league-wide, as players ranked him 30th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025.
McKinney has had a quieter statistical season in 2025, with just two interceptions and three pass breakups through 13 games. But that dip in production isn’t a sign of decline — it’s a sign of respect. Opposing quarterbacks have stopped throwing in his direction, targeting him only 21 times all year, which is tied for 55th among qualified safeties. Offenses are actively game-planning away from him, and that benefits Green Bay’s defense because it allows the unit to operate knowing one side of the field is essentially off-limits.
The best safeties often vanish on tape because their positioning and anticipation erase routes before they ever materialize. That’s exactly what McKinney is doing this season. Volume stats can’t measure his impact. His impact shows up in how often quarterbacks come off their first read, how frequently passers avoid deep shots to his side, and how rarely they place him in disadvantageous situations. McKinney is dictating offensive behavior, and that’s the ultimate mark of a high-end safety.
“It’s cool, but it’s boring,” McKinney said in October about being respected by quarterbacks.
“Especially with how we’re playing, it can get kind of boring back there a little bit,” he added. “But I’m just trying to keep finding ways to get involved and to place myself in positions where I can get more involved into these games and make some more plays.”
You know who isn’t bored? Evan Williams.
While McKinney is erasing his side of the field in silence, Williams is getting all the action — and making the most of it.
Williams leads Green Bay in interceptions this season and has been highly efficient in coverage. He’s allowing just 0.54 yards per coverage snap, and his 82.8 passer rating allowed is the seventh-lowest among safeties from his draft class with at least 20 coverage snaps.
“He just doesn’t get rattled. He’s poised,” Packers defensive backs coach Ryan Downard said of Williams in August. “Even in adverse times, or no matter how I try to poke and prod him, it’s like he’s locked in, and it’s hard to get him off base, even though I try my hardest, and try to rattle him so he’s ready for the games.”
Williams has an average run-tackle distance of 16.4 yards in his career, per Next Gen Stats. His closing burst from depth is elite — he diagnoses, triggers, and hits offenses with force. Green Bay has dealt with years of inconsistent run support from its corners and safeties. Williams changes that profile. His ability to come downhill, limit yards after contact, and clean up runs before they reach the sideline gives the defense a level of reliability they simply haven’t had on the back end.
Green Bay is one of only four teams — along with the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers — to have two safeties ranked inside the top 20 in defensive grade among players with at least 150 snaps. They’re also one of four teams — with the Houston Texans, Rams, and New England Patriots — to feature two safeties inside the top 15 in run-defense grade under the same snap threshold. Furthermore, Williams and McKinney’s five combined interceptions are more than what over 25 individual safety rooms across the league have produced.
By both the numbers and the tape, the Packers have one of the best safety duos in the league. The production, efficiency, and consistency in multiple phases should put them in the upper tier, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they finish the year as a top-three tandem — if they aren’t already there.
