Garrett Williams

Career StatsC-

Year	Team	GP	INT	PD	Tkl
Career		35	4	16	127
2025		10	1	5	46
2024		16	2	9	58
2023		9

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

This Garrett Williams extension is an absolute steal for the Cardinals, earning an A CVI grade that reflects exceptional value in today's cornerback market. Locking up a serviceable starter at just $1.4M per year represents shrewd roster building when average starting corners command $8-12M annually and even slot defenders are pushing $6-8M. The four-year term provides Arizona with cost certainty through Williams' prime development window, while the modest $1.1M guarantee minimizes downside risk if his trajectory stalls. This deal structure screams "developmental bet with massive upside" — if Williams takes even a modest step forward from serviceable to above-average, the Cardinals will have a cornerstone defender at a fraction of market rate. Arizona's front office deserves credit for identifying and securing young talent before the price tag explodes, giving them crucial salary cap flexibility to address other needs while betting on internal development at a premium position.

Performance Analysis

Garrett Williams is a 24-year-old cornerback entering his third NFL season with the Arizona Cardinals, still carving out his role as a developmental starter in a rebuilding secondary. Earning a C- overall grade, Williams sits firmly in the lower tier of starting corners leaguewide, though his youth and improving trajectory suggest the floor isn't his ceiling. He mirrors early-career profiles of corners like Tre'Davious White — raw but showing flashes worth monitoring. Williams' most striking current-season stat is his tackles-per-game rate of 4.60, approaching the elite threshold of 5.00 and well above the NFL average of 3.00 — signaling strong downhill instincts and willingness in run support. His pass-defense rate of 0.50 PDs per game sits right at the league average of 0.49, reflecting competent but unspectacular coverage work. The biggest concern is his interception rate of 0.10 per game, trailing the NFL average of 0.13 and far below the elite mark of 0.21, suggesting he struggles to convert coverage opportunities into turnovers. Williams has shown meaningful progression after bottoming out with a D- grade in 2023, climbing to consecutive C grades in 2024 and 2025 — a quiet but important developmental arc. At 24, he still has runway to tighten his ball skills and become a legitimate starter rather than a scheme-dependent role player. If his tackling instincts translate into tighter zone coverage and he improves his interception conversion rate, a breakout B-range season is plausible within the next two years.

Current Sentiment

Garrett Williams enters the 2026 offseason under a cloud of uncertainty after suffering a season-ending Achilles tear, the second significant injury setback of his young NFL career. The timing is particularly damaging, as reports indicate the Arizona Cardinals view a contract extension as unlikely, signaling a tenuous hold on his roster spot heading into the new league year. Williams did flash moments of legitimate playmaking ability — including an end-zone interception against Trevor Lawrence — but those flashes have been consistently interrupted before he could build sustained momentum. At just $1.4 million annually with no Pro Bowl recognition and a modest career stat line of four interceptions and 16 passes defended across three seasons, his leverage in any future contract negotiation is severely limited. Fan and media sentiment is cautiously sympathetic given his injury history, but the prevailing narrative is one of a player fighting to prove he belongs rather than one poised for a breakout role.