Arizona Cardinals defensive back Garrett Williams did not play many snaps in the slot nor in the box while at Syracuse, but his NFL club has asked a lot of his versatility.
Williams thinks of himself as a football player without a specific position, and in Year 2, he has already become a stalwart for a young and improving defense.
“I feel like I can kind of do whatever I’m asked to do,” Williams told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Friday. “And I feel like that’s something my dad always told me growing up, is that I’m not really a position player. I just play ball. I kind of just take that into everything I do. When they ask me to do different types of things, I just see it as a new opportunity to show something else I’m capable of.”
Williams has played primarily in the slot as a pro, but his reps playing deep as a safety have increased this season. He said there is a learning curve with these changes, but at the same time he called finding where he can improve the fun part of his job.
the locksmith, @garrettismynam3 🔒 pic.twitter.com/J8I7kF3sLj
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 7, 2024
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The 23-year-old said he wants to get better at open-field tackling, especially now that he’s playing more safety, and tightening up his coverage. Pro Football Focus already ranks Williams as a top 10 cornerback nine weeks into the season.
He has allowed 17 receptions on 33 targets (51.5%) with three pass breakups and an interception in coverage, according to PFF.
“I feel like I’ve definitely made some improvements from last year, but I feel like there’s so much more stuff that I can just work on,” Williams said. “I feel like if I just keep with that same mentality, by end of the season, I’ll be really happy with where I’m at.”
Williams was a captain in both high school and college. He said that is a goal of his to receive the “C” on his jersey in the NFL in due time, but for now he is focused on improvement.
Part of his development this year has come vocally, as Williams said with more comfort in the NFL has come the confidence to communicate directions or to simply uplift teammates and himself.
“I think last year it was just a matter of I’m still trying to figure everything out,” Williams said. “So you don’t want to be telling somebody else to do something when you’re still trying to figure it out yourself. I think just having that comfort, a little bit more experience, it makes me feel comfortable to kind of just be who I am on the field.”
Williams impressed the Cardinals with his attention to detail during the pre-draft process, and that has continued.
Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis told reporters this week he eavesdropped on a conversation Williams was having and “some of the stuff he was saying is stuff I wasn’t even thinking about.”
“With people that are that intelligent and that detailed, sometimes you have to be able to filter out the relevant stuff and help them with that,” Rallis said. “Once you take in all those details, what is important for me, we call it pre-snap checklist … and then from there, just let it rip. And he’s done a great job with that.”