Evan Williams scouting report: Exploring the Oregon safety's strengths and weaknesses

A three-star recruit for Fresno State back in 2019, Evan Williams already started five of 12 games played as a true freshman and then the four (of six) he was available for during the COVID-shortened follow-up campaign, combining for 67 tackles, one interception, four pass break-ups and two forced fumbles.

The two ensuing years, Evan Williams was named first- and second-team All-Pac-12 respectively, combining for 159 total stops, 10.6 of those for loss, three picks, eight PBUs, one fumble forced and two more recovered.

For his final year of eligibility – thanks to the 2020 exception – he transferred to Oregon, where he started 13 contests, recording 82 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two PBUs, one forced and two recovered fumbles. That earned him second-team All-Pac-12 accolades.

Profile: 6-foot, 200 pounds; RS SR.

Breaking down Evan Williams' scouting report

Run defense & blitzing:

• Urgent in the way he involves himself against the run from depth
• Has a knack for efficiently navigating around blockers in space and angling down towards the ball in optimal fashion
• When receivers do shoot inside for him to wall him off, Evan Williams is typically the one setting the tone at contact and popping their pads backwards
• Races down in a hurry and comes to balance as a tackler to stop screen passes early
• Hits with his chest and eyes up, along with providing great leg-drive
• Frequently joins the party late and drops a shoulder on the ball-carrier as he’s being wrapped up, to make sure that guy goes backwards
• Ferocious blitzer off the edge, particularly when capped over tight-ends in close splits to the offensive line – recorded five sacks and three other QB pressures on just 20 pass-rush snaps last season

Provides great effort chasing off the backside, but also doesn’t mind sticking his face in the fan against pulling guards

Zone coverage:

• Excelled in a modern NFL-oriented defense, which typically was based out of two-high looks and relied on match-principles, yet rotated into the deep post quite regularly as well
• Has tremendous instincts and spatial awareness as a deep zone defenderEfficiently deciphers through route combinations and positions himself accordingly with effortless movement skills in space
• Closes ground quickly and rakes through the hands of the intended target on routes crossing his face in two-high shells, to contest the catch and not allow any additional yardage
• Shows impressive awareness and vision to pick up/fall underneath crossers when dropping down as a robber/hole defender
• Does a great job of cutting off number three in trips working towards the middle of the field as the boundary safety in quarters

Man coverage:

• Comfortable capping over slot receivers and playing man with extensive cushion as the defense blitzes the nickel/overhang
• When Evan Williams was dropped down, he was able to deliver a solid punch and take control of routes early on, with a good combination of physicality and quickness
• Displays impressive closing burst to shut down short completions before receivers can turn up the field when the offense tries to create an advantage through cross-releases vs. man-coverage
• Not someone you’re going to take advantage of when manned up against slot receivers on crossing routes, taking the appropriate angles and holding them to basically no yards after the catch
• Highly competitive at the catch-point to wrestle the ball out, while timing up and maximizing his length exceptionally well when he wraps around the target – was only flagged once over the past two years combined

Did get charged with a 73.0% completion rate as the next-closest defender in coverage, but on just 5.9 yards per target (218 yards on 37 targets) and one touchdown (one of two in his career on 1630 total snaps in coverage)

Weaknesses:

• Lacks elite range to be a primary center-fielder at the pro level
• Struggles to find the ball when he has to open his hips to stay on top of vertical routes in cover-two
• Wasn’t used much as a matchup player in coverage, who would bump down into the slot and man up against different body types
• His frame looks pretty maxed out and his arms are fairly short, as you’re projecting what he may look like dropping down into the box more regularly
• While you like he form and toughness as a tackler, with 4.6 speed and 30-inch arms, you’re looking at a rather limited tackling radius when he arrives on an angle – 15.3% career miss rate

Evan Williams' 2024 NFL Draft prospect

I really wanted to find a way to fit Evan Williams into the top 10 because I believe he’s being completely lost in the shuffle, but he’ll have to settle for the first spot outside of it.

It’s difficult to get beyond the physical measurables combined with the fact he didn’t intercept any passes over the last two seasons. So I already know that he’ll most likely go lower than I think he should, but in terms of what a safety in today’s game is being asked from two-high alignments, he can do pretty much everything at a high level.

You want him to read the action from depth and cloud the picture for quarterbacks? Play 12 yards off and drive on the first break aggressively in match assignments? Get involved in the run fit to find entry points and counterbalance light box counts? – Sure, all of those above.

Evan Williams may have only run a 4.6 at the combine, but finished second among safeties with a 40.5-inch vertical and fourth with his 10’6” broad jump, before having the best on-field workout of the group – super clean in and out of breaks, oily hips and flexible ankles to flip, turn, locate the ball and catching it naturally.

That came after a tremendous Senior Bowl week, where he was named the National team’s top safety, showing that he can excel during one-on-ones against the tight-ends, before putting his instincts on display for a tremendous goal-line INT in the actual game.

Grade: Fourth round