Backfield Questions Remain: Savion Williams May Already be an Answer
Already handling carries at the collegiate and rookie season in the NFL, Savion Williams could provide depth and a spark to a position that is suddenly a question for Green Bay
By Luke Leavitt
With the uncertainty of the Packers running back room as OTA’s get under way, the Packers have various options to move forward with, some already existing internally. One of the options does not carry the position title, however, would not be a huge surprise given Matt LaFleur and the background of the offensive minds he has come from.
The Green Bay Packers may have found one of the most versatile offensive weapons in the 2025 NFL Draft when they selected Savion Williams out of TCU. While Williams entered the league as a wide receiver, his unique skill set suggests he could become much more than that in Matt LaFleur's offense.
At TCU, Williams wasn't simply a receiver lined up on the outside waiting for targets. The Horned Frogs used him all over the field. In his final collegiate season, he recorded 60 receptions for 611 yards and six touchdowns while also adding 322 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. He frequently lined up in the backfield, took handoffs out of wildcat formations, and was used on jet sweeps, screens, and gadget plays designed to get the ball in his hands. His versatility made him one of the most unique offensive weapons in the 2025 draft class.
Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing roughly 222 pounds, Williams possesses a rare combination of size, speed, and physicality. While his route running remains a work in progress, his ability after the catch and effectiveness with the ball in his hands make him a natural candidate for creative offensive packages. Several draft analysts viewed him as a player capable of lining up at wide receiver, running back, H-back, and even in specialty packages like how NFL teams have used hybrid offensive weapons in recent years.
Look at the minds in which Matt LaFleur began his coaching career with. Kyle Shanahan, Mike McDaniel, two coaches who have never shied from incorporating different looks in the backfield.
Shanahan has arguably been the NFL's most creative coach when it comes to hybrid offensive weapons.
Deebo Samuel
The best example of this model. During the 2021 season, Samuel became a true "wide back," lining up in the backfield and taking handoffs between the tackles. He finished that season with 59 carries for 365 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns while still producing as a top receiver. Whether through end arounds or jet sweeps, Samuel’s physicality traits as a wide receiver and elusiveness combined for an elite carrier of the football.
McDaniel learned under Shanahan and brought many of those concepts to the Miami Dolphins.
Tyreek Hill
Hill’s speed was too impactful to not move around the field and just get the ball in his hands. Jet sweeps, orbit motions, touch passes all were put on display in the high flying, fast paced Dolphins during McDaniel’s initial years as the head coach.
The Packers' current roster situation could create opportunities for Williams sooner rather than later. Green Bay invested heavily in the receiver position by drafting both Matthew Golden and Williams, but the long-term future of the room remains fluid. The Packers have consistently searched for ways to create explosive plays without relying on a traditional No. 1 receiver. Williams, who finished the 2025 season with 11 rushes for 37 yards, offers a different dimension because he can impact games even when he isn't catching passes downfield.
Perhaps the biggest reason Williams could emerge as a true Swiss Army knife is the uncertainty in Green Bay's backfield. While Josh Jacobs remains the clear starter, the depth behind him is far from settled. With the hopeful impact from a newly healthy Marshawn Lloyd, the Packers who clearly are always in win now mode, the uncertainty to injury and positive impact cannot live with uncertainty.
Whether that means adding to the room via free agency with a proven back like Joe Mixon, or trading for a proven bell cow like Alvin Kamara. Look at Matt LaFleur’s history in offenses he was guiding, a lead back rushing for 1,000 yards or more is essential.
From Todd Gurley back with the Rams, to Devonta Freeman with the Falcons, to Derrick Henry with the Titans, Aaron Jones & Josh Jacobs with the Packers. You’d have to imagine if the Packers roll with their current running back room, the chances of mixing Williams all over the field only grows.
Matt LaFleur has consistently shown a willingness to maximize versatile players. Whether through motion, misdirection, or creative formations, his offenses thrive when defenders are forced to hesitate. Williams' athletic profile and positional flexibility fit perfectly into that philosophy. Instead of viewing him solely as another receiver competing for targets, the Packers may view him as an offensive chess piece capable of filling multiple roles.
The most realistic path for Williams in 2026 may not be becoming Green Bay's next star wide receiver. Instead, it could be becoming one of the most difficult players for opposing defenses to identify and defend. With the ability to line up at receiver, running back, and various gadget positions, Savion Williams has all the tools to become the Packers' version of a true Swiss Army knife, an offensive weapon who can contribute wherever the team needs him most.
Just saying, Savion Williams would make a nasty RB pic.twitter.com/smB2LbRCbL
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) May 27, 2026
With the exception of the fall at the end, this was a phenomenal play from Savion Williams😅 pic.twitter.com/TwkfJV0WAf
— SleeperPackers (@SleeperPackers) May 7, 2026
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.
__________________________
Luke Leavitt is a Contributor for Cheesehead TV, covering the Green Bay Packers. A Manchester by the Sea, Massachussetts native, Luke is a lifelong Packer fan, and 16-year shareholder. Keep up with Luke on X @LukeLeavitt7
__________________________
Comments (33)
Coldworld
May 31, 2026 at 10:46 am
I’d like to see Williams learning and demonstrating his ability to run a full route tree. I’d also like to see him used to add size at times alongside Watson. To me that’s the key to getting most out of him before injuries strike and a better team after when he is likely the next “starter”.
His superpower is burst. His long speed is not bad, but his acceleration is superb for a man of his size. However, at 6’4 he’s the weight of a typical bigger RB 4 or 5 inches shorter. He’s taller than Henry by an inch and 30 pounds lighter, a totally different body shape and center of balance. Deebo Samuel is 6’ and 215, almost a classic RB build, proportionally more similar to Randall Cobb than to Williams.
That difference in physique doesn’t bode well for carrying through contact and pounding into it, which will happen, is likely to lessen his burst if repeated frequently. What you want is to get him the ball in space, but the same could be said of Reed and Golden and that illustrates that doing so largely negates his build.
As an occasional wrinkle I’m fine with it, but he’s not a deep depth player on game day, it’s not wise to treat him as expendable and that is what you propose in effect. Gadget ideas are fun, but too much of them comes back to bite far more often than not, as a team and in terms of slowing developing to his true potential.
The_Baloney_Stops_Here
May 31, 2026 at 11:10 am
I think most agree that moving him to fulltime rb is probly a mistake. But imo, his superpower is running ability once he has the ball in his hands. And as WR4, the limited opportunities as a pure receiver might not maximize his talent. If putting some packages where he lines up in the backfield just to get him some touches maximizes his talents, I have no issue with that. I wouldnt be mad at some short yardage wilcat stuff either.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 31, 2026 at 12:15 pm
It's really a question of volume. Gadget or trick plays can be effective as long as you maintain the element of surprise. Following this principle would result in using it so little as to not become a major injury risk. Win-win.
Ultimately Savion would be able to run all WR routes to be able to fill for any of the 3 starters as needed, but letting him master something first needs to happen. Developing him into a legitimate threat would be a big plus.
splitpea1
May 31, 2026 at 11:20 am
I agree, work on developing him as a receiver first before we get too fancy with the versatility out of the backfield. Remember he only averaged a little over three yards a carry there, anyway. Right now Williams is the fourth receiver on the depth chart, and as pointed out, when the injuries happen, you want him to be able to step out there and be a reliable contributor. Get started right away in preseason and give him plenty of opportunities.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 31, 2026 at 12:23 pm
WR4 needs to be used as more than just a sub in case of injury. Can our 3 starters take every snap and still be 100% effective? I don't think that's possible.
This raises the interesting question of comparing the effectiveness of Luke Musgrave as a big bodied receiver to Savion. I'm not sure MLF has ever thought in these terms, which seems to result in trying to use #88 for what he can't do, and then not using him at all.
You'd hope Musgrave could block better than both #9 and Savion just based on sheer weight advantage.
Since'61
May 31, 2026 at 11:26 am
Excellent post Coldworld. The bottom line is that the Packers need to make better use of their resources. This includes both Savion Williamsand Golden on offense. I have no problem utilizing Williams as a "gadget" player but they definitely should not over use him to run the football. The occasional wildcat or jet sweep are fine but I agree with you that he should not be exposed to the excessive pounding that an RB takes during an entire season.
I hope that his future will be as a successful WR for the Packers over his career. His occasional use as a change of pace RB and/or gadget player is fine and should be utilized but the Packers need to keep him healthy as their 4th WR and ready to be the next man up if an injury occurs to any of the starting WRs.
Thanks, Since '61
Spock
May 31, 2026 at 11:32 am
I Agree CW. Especially with your 2nd paragraph. Savion is big for a WR but too tall to be used primarily at a RB type role.
Leatherhead
May 31, 2026 at 11:28 am
I liked Savion Williams in the draft. In most of the simulations, he was available in the 3rd and I took him.
He played in 12 games and got 21 touches (11 carries and 10 targets, all of them caught.). His worst touch was when he caught a quick WR screen, ran into his blocker, and fumbled. He gets 5.5 yards per opportunity. He got a total of 115 yards last year and 33 of them came on one play.
He also did kick return duties, and did not have a single turnover and averaged 25 yards/return.
If he's healthy all season, I'd expect him to have a substantially bigger role in the offense. But I still see him behind Watson-Reed-Golden, and I think all of them plus Kraft and the RB will get more targets than Williams. If everybody's healthy.
Williams is a good enough runner that if he's got the ball and he's headed upfield, it's a serious problem for the secondary. If he's part of a "replace Jacobs touches by a committee" strategy, it could work. If you give 5 of Jacobs' touches to Williams, then we only need to replace another 12 touches/game. It's a start.
4 more touches for Brooks. 4 more for Lloyd. 2 more to Kraft. Something like this would cover up for Jacobs not being there.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 31, 2026 at 12:32 pm
I think 5 touches per game for Savion as RB is too much. Not only does it lose the element of surprise it increases the risk of injury and also likely loses some of his burst just due to the sheer volume of high impacts. 85 plays like that in one season and how many seasons do we get out of him? Especially when we should figure he won't come close to his ceiling as WR until at least his third year.
RB by committee might be possible with some kind of mix to include Savion. Hopefully how best to do that is a major focus between now and week 1.
Leatherhead
May 31, 2026 at 06:07 pm
Five touches, total. That would be more than twice as much as last year. Last year he ran it as much as he was targeted, and I'd expect that to stay about the same.
LLCHESTY
May 31, 2026 at 02:10 pm
Maybe he could be a poor man's Cordarrelle Patterson, who was a disappointment for the Vikings but ended up with a 12 year career. Williams doesn't have the return ability that Patterson had but I thought he was improving in that area and had a couple opportunities for long gains. Maybe he can be a bigger help the running game than Patterson was early in his career.
stockholder
May 31, 2026 at 02:14 pm
No- he's a WR period.
Leatherhead
May 31, 2026 at 06:08 pm
Last year, he caught 11 passes and had 10 carries.
stockholder
May 31, 2026 at 06:16 pm
He's not Montgomery or Deguara.
End arounds are fine
TKWorldWide
May 31, 2026 at 03:19 pm
Why not Bo Melton?
Bo knows versatility.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 31, 2026 at 05:43 pm
It will be interesting to see where his career goes from here
WD
May 31, 2026 at 04:09 pm
Granted the highlight films look great . He reminds me a little of Gibbs with the Lions.
Why not RB? What have we got to lose? I think this is a great idea!.
Savage57
June 01, 2026 at 09:21 am
IKR? Not "Savion" Williams, "Savior" Williams.
LeotisHarris
May 31, 2026 at 04:12 pm
Savion is a 'tweener, somewhere between Randall Cobb and Derrick Henry. IMHO, only one of those players should take a handoff in the backfield.
6'4", 222. The kid has strengths. Maybe someone in our coaching ranks can tap into them?
Leatherhead
May 31, 2026 at 06:16 pm
He's a big guy. When you see him on the field, he's bigger than anybody in the secondary, most of the WRs in the league,most of the RBs in the league. He's what we used to call "rangy", or raw-boned. Lots of bone, muscle and sinew and not much else.
He got two touches per game last year. Two. And it was 10 passes and 11 runs, or vice versa, I forget. But the POINT is that I think the Packers view him as both runner and receiver. He caught every target last year and he's a good enough runner to return kicks. If his contribution doubles, to four touches per game, and he plays in 15 games, then he'll have 60 touches as opposed to the 21 he had last year.
I think this guy is a player. I first saw him as a college junior, and he was flat dominating UT that day. A big guy who can catch the ball and run well. Also, he was once a QB, so we could see some trickery at some point.
LeotisHarris
May 31, 2026 at 07:41 pm
Yeah, I recall you were high on him prior to the draft because of what you'd seen in his college career.
Oppy
May 31, 2026 at 05:26 pm
Savion Williams is an incredibly raw WR whose projected value in the NFL is as a versatile gadget type player.
If he develops his route running skills, and, most importantly, his catching and ball security skills, the value a player with his combination of size/speed/strength (he's strong as an ox) and general talents is being able to line him up in 4 or 5 wide sets and see how the defense responds to his presence.
If the defense subs a DB in for a LB and shows man coverage, you might be able to motion a player like Savion into the backfield and hand the ball off to him to let him use his size advantage to exploit a smaller corner and run him over. If the defense goes heavy and stays with a backer or safety, you may be able to get a favorable matchup where his relative speed and length can be a factor.
What Williams shouldn't be used as is a substitute for a RB. Remember those old TV adds, "I"m not a doctor, but I play one on TV?" Well, Williams motto should be, "I'm not a RB, but I'll play one only in very specific, rare incidents where the defense isn't expecting it and the guy who's on me is a smaller body."
SicSemperTyrannis
May 31, 2026 at 05:48 pm
I agree except
"Savion Williams is an incredibly raw WR whose projected value in the NFL is as a versatile gadget type player."
What you wrote here only repeats what everybody says. It's baseless. He didn't drop a single ball thrown at him, and he excels at contested catches. He needs to learn the playbook just like everybody else, and JL10 needs to develop a connection with him.
I'm disappointed I haven't heard anything about our QB getting together with any of our WRs to play catch over the off-season.
Oppy
May 31, 2026 at 07:43 pm
Savion's contested catch rate is fantastic at 74%.
The problem is, he only had 34 contested throws during his college career.
Comparatively, when looking at ALL of his 214 total targets in college, he had a drop percentage of over 10% (I think the number was 10.8%).
10% is not an acceptable drop rate for an NFL wide receiver. It's about double what's considered 'average' and firmly in the "not acceptable" range.
Hopefully he gets it figured out. The numbers suggest to me the contested catch rate is a fluke fueled by small sample size. The optimist in me hopes that it indicates Savion simply has a concentration issue.
golfpacker61
June 01, 2026 at 11:48 am
Savion has better hands than he was credited with in the draft. Watching his highlights show a guy that really went and got the ball. One catch in particular he was horizontal a foot off the ground catching a bad pass. I don't think he was helped much by QB accuracy. The no drops on a small sample size last year show that. He needs about 20 lbs to get stronger and stay healthier.
Oppy
June 01, 2026 at 06:34 pm
If you put 20 lbs on Williams he’s not going to be nearly as versatile - he’s not a burner at 220 and at 240 he’ll likely become a possession type receiver with sub par speed and hands.
Highlight reels are just that- the highlights. The numbers don’t lie. He dropped far too many passes in college. It
Again, I’m hopeful it’s correctable. I am very pro-Savion Williams. I was very intrigued when he was drafted. But I’m also a realist. He has a lot of work before we can even assess if he’s an nfl talent worthy of a second contract or not..
LeotisHarris
May 31, 2026 at 07:47 pm
"I'm disappointed I haven't heard anything about our QB getting together with any of our WRs to play catch over the off-season."
Life is filled with disappointments. Just because you haven't heard about something doesn't mean it didn't occur, right? I mean, you have no evidence if Love did or didn't spend time with our WRs this offseason. Pure speculation on your part, Sic.
If your intention was to share your disappointment with us, that's fine. If you're implying anything else, it's irresponsible at best.
Leatherhead
May 31, 2026 at 06:20 pm
Oppy, what is a gadget play? I thought there were runs and passes. What is this third category that is neither a run nor a pass? Is it a reverse? Jet Sweep? Statue of Liberty? Fumblerooski? Swinging gate? Hook and Lateral?
Last year, he caught 10 passes in 10 targets, and had 11 rushes. Or vice versa. One fumble. No fumbles on kickoff returns.
Bitternotsour
May 31, 2026 at 06:46 pm
Remember when San Francisco and Shanahan (Matt LaFleur's mentor) turned Deebo Samuel into a very dangerous rusher, averaged over 10 yards a carry his first year and had a season with like 60 carries and 350+ yards (my memory)?
All it takes is vision and commitment (and a special guy).
Run it til they stop it.
Bitternotsour
May 31, 2026 at 06:52 pm
There we go, 2021 Deebo had 77 catches for 1400 yards and 59 rushes for 365 yards.
I'd take that from Savion.
dobber
June 01, 2026 at 07:37 am
I think the "yes, but..." to this is that Deebo ended up missing almost 20 games over his time in SF and was always beat up and on the injury report (this comes from someone who regularly had him on his FFL team and had to work around the "will he or won't he" play every week). Washington gave Deebo more WR play and fewer carries and he made it to 16 games.
People want to compare Williams to Deebo, but Deebo is shorter by two inches and built more like a RB. Cordarrelle Patterson was also 2 inches shorter. Williams is taller and longer than both those guys. I don't think he's going to hold up to the beatings of regularly running the kinds of plays Deebo had a hard time holding up to. I'd argue Williams should be getting the ball in space and being allowed to create: flat passes, pitch plays, short crossers and slants. That will open the hitch-and-go stuff up, too. You want him using his size on DBs...not on LBs and DTs.
Oppy
May 31, 2026 at 07:47 pm
High risk/reward 'trick' play. Using unconventional or risky tactics to deceive the defender.
It's great he caught 10/10. One fumble in 21 touches is the type of ball security that gets you out of the league faster than you got into it.
The good news, of course, is that 21 touches is a ridiculously small sample size, so small that it's not sufficient to make an argument.. for either of us.
golfpacker61
May 31, 2026 at 05:58 pm
I really don't think GB had running back in mind when they drafted Williams. He is a WR first that can run a little bit and since he is pretty much WR4 right now, getting him injured "playing" RB should limit that option. I think Williams was a big reason GB was comfortable trading Wicks. He really should be able to do anything Wicks did and more. Yes, he has been a Swiss army knife, but he will earn his living playing WR. RBs take a tremendous beating all year and Williams would be hurt more often than not.
Does anyone else think this dude is super skinny. I know it says 222 lbs, but Williams could easily put on 20 lbs and we might not notice. He needs to gain a little weight; it will help him stay healthy. I will be honest; Williams was not the 2nd WR I wanted last year. I was hoping GB would draft Donte Thornton-Tenn. He was a Watson clone in build and really fast. Thornton didn't get thrown to very much with the Raiders. He had 10 catches for 135 yds.
On paper, GB has a potentially very strong WR room. They have about 5 guys after the Top 3 that could see little drop off if someone misses time. Yes, they have no experience, but they all are great blockers so that will help build trust with the coaches.
How about we just find a RB to do the RBs job. We might have 2 on the team already with Strong & Martinez. Otherwise, we just trade for a young stud like Vidal-Chargers, Benson-Cards, or Allen-Jets.