Former Oregon S Evan Williams named NFC Defensive Player of the Month

Two months into the NFL season, the Oregon Ducks are 2-for-2 on monthly awards on the defensive side of the ball.

Green Bay Packers safety Evan Williams was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October after a standout month in one of the league’s toughest divisions this season. Williams racked up 41 tackles, four deflections, two interceptions, a sack and a fumble recovery last month. He is the first safety since 2011 to tally at least 40 tackles and three takeaways in one month.

Williams posted a career-high 11 tackles in a win at home over the rival Chicago Bears and snagged an interception the following week against the Dallas Cowboys in primetime action. He leads the Packers with 66 tackles and is the only player in the league with at least 60 tackles and multiple interceptions.

Williams follows in the footsteps of Jevón Holland, who won the same award for his play in September with the New York Giants. Holland had four takeaways in the first month of the season and has continued to play well in his second season in New York.

YOU ALREADY KNOW

Congrats to Evan Williams on being named NFC Defensive Player of the Month! pic.twitter.com/lKPd4nKox2

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 5, 2026

The Packers have one of the NFL’s best pass defenses this season, and Williams has become a huge part of it. Williams has two interceptions and six deflections this season, while playing closer to the line of scrimmage at times and making plays in the backfield.

“I just try to come out every day and put my best foot forward,” Williams told the local media Thursday. “I feel like it’s really more of a group award than anything. We say when we’re all succeeding, that’s when individuals start to see success.”

Williams has become something of a surprise star in the NFL after spending one season with the Ducks. As a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Williams was quickly a contributor in Green Bay and became a full-time starter in 2025. His play this season has elevated to another level, and he could be a candidate to make an All-Pro team at the end of the season.

Before arriving in Oregon, Williams spent four seasons at Fresno State, where he earned All-Mountain West honors in three seasons. He transferred to Oregon for the 2023 season, following his brother, Bennett, who was a safety for the Ducks in 2021 and 2022. Williams’ play in Eugene was up-and-down, but he finished his lone season with the Ducks with 82 tackles, 4.5 sacks, one deflection and two fumble recoveries. He earned All-Pac-12 second-team honors.

Williams is one of several Oregon defenders having success in the NFL this season and is in the midst of a breakout campaign. Williams and the Packers will continue to make a playoff push this Sunday when they hit the road to face the New England Patriots.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Former Oregon S Evan Williams named NFC Defensive Player of the Month