Acme Packing Company
We have two outside corners, two safeties, and a slot; now let’s pick one more DB for our squad.
In our continuing series on the Packers All-Quarter Century Team, let’s pick one last player for our secondary!
Nickel and dime packages have become more and more commonplace in the NFL over the last 10-15 years, with nickel being the league’s de facto base defense for the past decade or so. With that in mind and with our front seven fully defined, we’re going to select one more defensive back for our squad.
As a reminder, here are the players who have already made the team:
Cornerbacks: Charles Woodson, Al Harris
Slot: Micah Hyde
Safeties: Nick Collins, Morgan Burnett
Here are the nominees for the additional DB slot!
1x Pro Bowl
Regular season stats: 159 games played, 122 starts; 30 INT, 419 return yards, 1 INT TD, 125 passes defensed, 559 total tackles (461 solo, 98 assisted), 12 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries
Postseason stats: 14 games played, 11 starts; 4 INT, 96 return yards, 1 INT TD, 16 passes defensed, 54 total tackles (44 solo, 10 assisted), 3 fumble recoveries
Tramon Williams, we DO love you. Before we start, it must be said that several (many) of his fumble recoveries were recoveries of his fumbles on special teams, and I simply do not have the time to find which ones came on actual defense. Williams went undrafted and signed to the Packers practice squad in 2006, eventually making the 53-man roster in 2007. In his first game with the team, he was listed sixth on the depth chart. By the next season, he was third on the depth chart behind Charles Woodson and Al Harris, and he eventually became the full-time starter upon Harris’ departure.
He had an incredible stretch of games during the team’s playoff run in the 2010 season, which included one of my favorite plays ever, a 70-yard pick six in the Divisional Round. Williams left the team in free agency after the 2014 season, and spent a few years with the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals. He returned to the Packers for two more years, and was then signed by the Baltimore Ravens for the 2020 season. The Ravens waived Williams in January of 2021, and three days later, he was signed to the Packers practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster for the NFC Championship Game, but did not play (he probably should’ve!). Williams just could not quit the Packers, and we simply cannot quit him.
2x Second-Team All Pro, 2x Pro Bowl, PFWA All-Rookie Team
Regular season stats: 78 games played, 76 starts; 12 INT, 201 return yards, 1 INT TD, 70 passes defensed, 287 total tackles (241 solo, 46 assisted), 12 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 1 safety, 3 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries
Postseason stats: 6 games played, 6 starts;...
