NFL recognizes 2 Packers defensive standouts, and the honor hints at a promising future for the unit
Safety Evan Williams and cornerback Brandon Cisse received individual honors in October, and it shows how impressive this defense can be.
The Green Bay Packers’ defense has established itself as one of the top units in football, even without Micah Parsons. And that’s in large part because of how impactful some of their defensive backs have been. On Thursday, the NFL recognized that impact.
Safety Evan Williams was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month of October, while cornerback Brandon Cisse was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of October.
Evan Williams has played at an All Pro level
Williams totaled 41 tackles, four passes defensed, two interceptions, one sack, and one fumble recovery in the month of October. He became the third safety since 2000 to record at least 40 tackles and three takeaways in a single month, joining Rodney Harrison (October, 2003 with New England) and George Wilson (October, 2011 with Buffalo).
This is Williams’s first Defensive Player of the Month award. He is the third Packers safety to earn the award, joining Atari Bigby (December, 2007) and Xavier McKinney (October, 2024).
Originally a fourth-round pick in 2024, Evan Williams has played at an extremely high level in his third NFL season. He’s had nine pressures, 13 stops, while allowing a 41.5 passer rating when targeted. Williams is the highest-graded safety this year according to PFF.
A rare honor for a Packers rookie
Packers rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse earned league-wide recognition for his October performance, and the honor says a lot about his long-term future in Green Bay. The NFL named Cisse the Defensive Rookie of the Month for October. Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate took home the Offensive Rookie of the Month award.
Cisse recorded 21 tackles, seven passes defensed, two tackles for loss, one interception, and one sack during the month. His seven passes defensed led all rookies. He was also one of three rookies, and the only defensive back, to record at least 20 tackles and an interception in October.
The award puts Cisse in exclusive company. He becomes the third Packers cornerback to win Defensive Rookie of the Month, joining Casey Hayward in 2012 and Damarious Randall in 2015.
The Packers drafted Cisse with the 52nd overall pick, in the second round. It was Green Bay’s first selection of the 2026 draft, since the team sent its first-round pick away in the trade to acquire edge defender Micah Parsons.
Giving up a first-round pick always comes with a cost, and the Packers didn’t have the ideal draft capital to replace everything they lost this offseason. But landing a quality player at a premium position in the second round softens the blow considerably.
Cisse’s full-season profile shows how much the Packers already rely on him. Through this point in the season, he has played 508 defensive snaps. He has generated four pressures and nine stops. In coverage, he has allowed a 95.8 passer rating when targeted, with three pass breakups and one interception.
