Who says you can’t go home again?
The Ravens were the first team to display an interest in UAB cornerback Darious Williams, signing the undrafted free agent to a contract in 2018, and then waiving him when Jimmy Smith returned from a four-game suspension. The Rams picked Williams up on waivers, and over the next four seasons, Williams worked his way up from roster afterthought to top-tier defender. In 2022, the Jaguars stole him away with a three-year, $30 million contract, but released him from that contract in March. That’s when the Rams came charging back in, signing Williams to a three-year, $22.5 million contract.
Williams is built like a slot-only cornerback at 5-foot-9 and 187 pounds, but he’s been a great outside cornerback for years, and that was just as true in 2023, when he allowed 51 catches on 86 targets for 613 yards, 178 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, four interceptions, 18 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 69.6. Through his NFL career, Williams has allowed 10 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, and has a lifetime opponent passer rating of 76.7. It’s safe to say that nobody expected that when he came out of college.
Darious Williams is a scheme-transcendent (now free agent) cornerback. Man, zone, match, inside, outside… he's on the ball. Four interceptions and 18 PBU for the Jaguars last season. Don't look at the size; watch the tape. pic.twitter.com/58X8UqtMaA
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 9, 2024
