The Green Bay Packers made eight picks during the 2019 NFL draft and signed several others during college free agency, adding an influx of first-year talent to the roster. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be going through and reviewing the 2019 season for all of the Packers’ top rookies.
Next up: running back Dexter Williams, the 194th overall pick and the Packers’ second of two sixth-round draft picks in 2019:
Season stats
Williams carried five times for 11 yards and no touchdowns over four regular-season appearances. His longest run was five yards, and he had five yards after contact. He wasn’t targeted in the passing game. During the preseason, Williams carried 37 times for 128 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 57 yards, including a 21-yarder.
Snap counts
Williams played 10 snaps on offense – six against the Oakland Raiders in Week 7, and four more against the Detroit Lions in Week 17 – and 38 total special teams snaps, including a season-high of 11 snaps against both the Raiders in Week 7 and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8.
Best play
In the second quarter of the season finale in Detroit, Williams took an inside zone handoff, identified the hole to his left and cut back inside to gain five quick yards. He fell forward after first contact to gain an extra yard or two. During the preseason, Williams converted a 3rd-and-7 with a 21-yard catch-and-run off of a well-executed screen pass against the Chiefs.
.@DexterW_22 picks up 21 yards on the screen! #KCvsGB #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/0oZAHueXu9
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 30, 2019
Season recap, future outlook
Buried on the depth chart behind starter Aaron Jones and versatile backup Jamaal Williams, Dexter Williams just barely made the 53-man roster to start the season and then played in only four regular-season games. Trust appeared to be an issue. Williams got himself in the doghouse during camp and never really found a way out, at least in terms of getting onto the field in a meaningful way during the year. Throughout the summer, Matt LaFleur praised his talent but publicly demanded more consistency. Coming back for Year 2 with a higher comfort level in the offense and knowing what’s expected of him as a pro could make all the difference. He has the size, short-area burst and lower-body power to be a useful situational runner in 2020, but only if he earns the trust of teammates and coaches. Training camp and the preseason will likely determine if he’s ready to take a leap or back on the roster bubble.
Season grade
The Packers gave Jones and Williams and eventually Tyler Ervin all the important snaps at running back, leaving the sixth-round pick as a gameday inactive most weeks. Rookie runners are capable of coming into the league and making an immediate impact, but it didn’t happen for the Notre Dame product. It was disappointing, especially for a back with a skillset befitting the new Packers offense, but he had experienced players ahead of him gobbling up all the opportunities. LaFleur will hope a redshirt rookie season sets up Williams for bigger things in 2020. Grade: Incomplete