Another year on the proving ground
Williams in battle for No. 3 running back spot
GREEN BAY – For two years, his mind was constantly searching, the wheels turning as he tried to adjust to NFL life, a new playbook, all while juggling his mother’s health.
Ask Dexter Williams about his first two NFL seasons, and he’ll say they were humbling, sure. But they also felt familiar. The Green Bay Packers former sixth-round pick was not an overnight sensation in college. At Notre Dame, Williams was buried on the depth chart behind Josh Adams, one of the Fighting Irish’s top-five all-time rushers.
In Green Bay, he was buried behind Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams.
“It was the same thing,” Williams said as he prepared for his third NFL camp. “I had to do a lot of learning, but also we had a guy like Josh Adams. He’s a great running back as well. So it was just with timing. Once Josh went to the NFL, it was like, ‘OK, this is my time to shine.’”
Williams’ first three seasons at Notre Dame yielded 81, 200 and 360 yards. He had 21, 39 and 39 carries. Then Adams left.
In his senior season, Williams put up 995 yards on 158 carries and 12 touchdowns as the primary tailback.
So there is no panic in Williams’ voice as he discusses his first two NFL seasons. He could be a forgotten piece to the backfield depth chart. Jamaal Williams is gone, but A.J. Dillon is poised to swoop into his place alongside Jones. Kylin Hill, the Packers’ seventh-round draft pick, is the flashy newcomer. Williams has a head start, entering his third season with coach Matt LaFleur.
The battle between Williams and Hill, along with former undrafted tailback Patrick Taylor, might be one of the fiercest on the roster in camp. It will start its crescendo Saturday when the Packers host Family Night inside Lambeau Field. LaFleur has hinted at livetackling reps, offering the truest evaluations for running backs. He also said Williams, Hill and Taylor will get plenty of work in the preseason.
“We’ll try to feature those guys throughout,” LaFleur said. “Not to say that Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon might not play. I can’t say they’re not going to play. I definitely think A.J. will get in there a little bit, but for the most part you’re going to see those other three backs get the bulk of the carries.”
LaFleur listed different skillsets with each of the three tailbacks at the bottom of his roster. He said Hill has “a lot of athleticism” and is “very explosive,” traits he showed on his way to 1,350 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior at Mississippi State in 2019. Hill, who opted out of his senior season after three games because of COVID-19, has the one-cut ability LaFleur wants in his outside-zone scheme.
Taylor’s grasp of the position has been most impressive, LaFleur said.
“He’s one of the more intelligent players I’ve ever been around,” LaFleur said. “You should see the way this guy takes notes, how detailed he is. He’s got a great understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
When the Packers drafted Williams, general manager Brian Gutekunst lauded his one-cut speed. It was an explosiveness he showed in his final season at Notre Dame, but Williams spent the past two seasons adjusting to the NFL. The mental transition might have been greatest, Williams digging into a new scheme while adjusting to the speed of the game.
Williams effectively took a redshirt season on the Packers’ active roster as a rookie. Last season, he spent the entire season on the practice squad but was elevated for three games. He said it was a learning year for him. Williams got more even more practice reps on the practice squad, going against the Packers’ firstteam defense.
“I think Dexter,” LaFleur said, “he’s another guy, man, that has come so far. He’s one of the hardest workers we have on this football team.”
Williams said the game started to slow for him while on the practice squad last season.
When organized team activities came this spring, he felt the most comfortable he’s been since arriving in Green Bay. He’s able to carry the football instinctually now, reacting instead of thinking because his knowledge of LaFleur’s playbook has grown over the years.
That will be tested this month. It’s a critical time in his career, he knows. Williams has plenty of help at home. His mother, Cheryl, was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension in 2018, a terminal illness that came with a three- to five-year window. She’s Williams’ greatest motivation, he said. Cheryl lives with her son most of the season in Green Bay.
The two help take care of each other. “It motivates me a lot,” Williams said. “Because I know my mom, she depends on me a lot. She depends on me a lot. So I know that I have to really just handle my part, which is working out, grinding, the knowledge of the game, continue to just stay focused. I know that’s what she wants, so I’m trying to do everything that she wants and that I want, so we can get to where we want to go.”