The Green Bay Packers still have questions at safety as OTAs continue. The team knows that Pro Bowler Xavier McKinney will be the starter at one safety spot, the other safety remains a question. The primary candidates are both second-year players who were drafted by the team in 2024.

Evan Williams started six games for the Packers last season while playing in 13. The secondary seemed to play its best when he was inserted into the lineup. The fourth round pick out of Oregon broke up three passes, forced a fumble and made his first career NFL interception. He also made 49 total tackles.

Williams proved himself to be a smart football player who put himself into position to make plays.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley was impressed by how quickly Williams learned the defense and adjusted to life in the NFL. “He’s a very intelligent player,” Hafley said midway through the 2024 season. “I think one of the biggest things he’s done to put himself in the situation that he’s in now and having a bigger role is he’s starting to learn how to study the game more and he’s starting to understand how serious you need to take it because, when those opportunities come, you have to be ready for it.”

As a rookie, Williams did well in coverage in limited action. Opposing quarterbacks completed 56.7 percent of their passes when throwing to receivers covered by Williams according to pro-football-reference.com. They had a quarterback rating of just 77.8.

Williams has worked hard in the offseason to prepare for his second season in the league. He hopes to carve out a bigger role in the Packers defense.

The player Williams replaced at safety midseason may be his biggest competition. GM Brian Gutekunst selected Javon Bullard in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Georgia alum played in 15 games last season and started 11.

Bullard did his best work closer to the line of scrimmage as the strong safety. He made 90 total tackles, recovered one fumble and made two tackles for loss.

The issue for Bullard as a rookie came in pass coverage. According to pro-football-reference.com, opposing quarterbacks completed 85.2 percent of their passes when throwing to receivers covered by Bullard and had a quarterback rating of 120.6.

Bullard had a disadvantage. He spent most of training camp lining up at safety. But, when Jaire Alexander got hurt and was out of the lineup, the Packers moved Bullard to the slot and Williams took over at the traditional safety spot.

Bullard later moved back to safety when Williams missed a few games due to injury. The transition from college football to the NFL can be tricky enough but having to switch positions twice midway through your rookie season doesn’t make it any easier.

Hafley noted that Bullard was very strong in run support as a rookie. “I think when you watch Bull, you watch how physical he is around the ball and you just want to try to find ways to get him more involved play after play,” he said. “He can do it all, though. I think he can cover. I know he’s physical in the run game. He’s a really good blitzer.”

One factor in the position battle revolves around Alexander’s still uncertain future in Green Bay. If the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback stays with the team this season and remains healthy, there will be a crowd battling for the slot position. Bullard will battle with free agent addition Nate Hobbs for reps at slot. If Hobbs wins the job, Bullard will have to battle Williams for the starting safety spot to stay in the lineup.

If Alexander is unavailable, the chances of Bullard being the starter in the slot increase. At OTAs, however, when Alexander was not there, the base defense included Keisean Nixon and Hobbs on the perimeter. When they went to the nickel set, Carrington Valentine moved to the perimeter and Hobbs moved to the slot. Again, this is all very preliminary at OTAs, but it gives us an idea of the way the coaching staff is thinking at the moment.

In the end, it may come down to a battle between Williams and Bullard at safety. As head coach Matt LaFleur is fond of saying, iron sharpens iron. The Packers may have to “good” problem of trying to get both of these talented second-year men on the field as much as possible.