Rasheed Walker went from a seventh-round pick who had to scrap for a roster spot to the Green Bay Packers’ starting left tackle in just one season. Over the past two years, Walker has played every game in the regular season and started all but two.
Green Bay took another offensive lineman this year in the seventh round. If things go as planned, John Williams will be a serious depth piece for the big boys up front.
Williams was a two-year starter at left tackle at the University of Cincinnati. However, the Packers could have other plans in mind. He projects as a tackle/guard hybrid, and general manager Brian Gutekunst mentioned center as another possibility when speaking about Williams after the draft.
He’s got the versatility to play left tackle and guard. He probably could play center because he’s smart enough to. He’s one of the few guys who can really play with full extension with his hands and is moving his feet at the same time.
What a perfect fit for a team that values versatility.
While most mock drafts had Williams either going in the seventh round or potentially being undrafted, Gutekunst mentioned the Packers had him higher on their board.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah offered his viewpoint on the live draft show right after the Packers made the pick, drawing parallels to what they have done in the past.
Left tackle, they announced him as a guard. It will be interesting to see. This is something they’ve done with Elgton Jenkins. It’s what they’ve done with a lot of offensive lineman over the years. As a left tackle, you saw him in the run game he can wash defensive lineman down the line of scrimmage. … In pass protection, at times he can get narrow and struggle with speed. I think all these issues that he has can be alleviated to a degree with a kick inside to guard.
Guard could be what the Packers have in mind for Williams. Questions linger about the depth at guard, and training camp could sort much of it out.
The Packers signed Aaron Banks in free agency as their starting left guard. At right guard, Sean Rhyan is entering a contract year.
Green Bay fans still have nightmares about what happened last postseason against the Philadelphia Eagles. When left guard Jenkins went out early with an injury and didn’t return, the Packers turned to Travis Glover and Kadeem Telfort.
It was a colossal disaster.
On the one hand, it pointed to depth concerns. On the other hand, it’s somewhat unfair to pin a lot on Glover and Telfort, given the severity of the situation. The Packers tossed them into a playoff game on the road against that defensive front, which is a huge ask. It wasn’t exactly a preferred or advantageous situation for either to enter.
As a rookie, Williams should help with that depth immediately, assuming he carves out a spot. Unless Williams looks completely lost, it’s hard to imagine the Packers not awarding him a spot on the roster or the practice squad at least.
His ability to play tackle, guard, and even center is a huge plus. If there’s an area in particular the Packers have excelled at over the years, it’s drafting and developing offensive linemen. Green Bay drafted five starters up front last year. None were first-round picks.
They’ll hope to do the same with Anthony Belton, whom they selected in the second round, and with Williams. Belton also projects as a tackle or guard. With the pick the Packers used on him, Belton is the ideal depth piece as a rookie. Williams falls into that next tier, which is why the Packers took one in the second round and the other in the seventh.
Williams believes his game will transition well based on the style Cincinnati asked him to play. Speaking with reporters after he was drafted, Williams says he’s getting better and better:
I think my pass protection has grown. … If you watch the tape from 2023 to 2024, it’s like a completely different player. I think that’s what’s going to translate. … Our offensive line coach Nic Cardwell has done a great job of implementing an NFL style for our pass protections.
As a seventh-round pick, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. Scratching and clawing for a roster spot is usually a starting point. Historically, carving out a role after that is even more challenging.
Given Green Bay’s past success taking offensive linemen later in the draft and developing them, coupled with Williams’ versatility, he has prospects as a depth piece as early as this year.
