Greedy Williams continues to have injury troubles in his relatively brief NFL career. Per a team announcement, the Browns have placed him on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the season. 
Williams has been dealing with a hamstring injury, the latest in a long line of ailments which have defined his career. The 2019 second-rounder (whose availability concerns coming out of college hurt his draft stock) played in 12 games as a rookie, but a shoulder injury ultimately cost him the entire 2020 campaign.
Williams bounced back last season, suiting up for 16 contests (with eight starts). He made 41 tackles, adding a pair of interceptions and 10 pass deflections despite seeing a reduced workload. The LSU alum was expected to once again take on a starting role in 2022 as part of Cleveland’s top CB trio alongside Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome.
Instead, the Browns will now turn to third-round rookie Martin Emerson as a first-teamer. The Mississippi State product was the Browns’ top pick in April, but only recorded one interception in his three years in college. Expectations will be tempered for him, but Ward and Newsome have proven themselves to be high-end contributors in the secondary.
Williams, meanwhile, will play (at best) another shortened schedule as he enters a contract year. His level of play last season in terms of not only ball production but coverage statistics showcased his talent and draft pedigree, but any lengthy absence would certainly hinder his free agent market.
remember when the Browns had one pick in the entire first half of the draft, and they wasted it on this dude who everyone knew couldn’t tackle?
such a bust
Williams actually hasn’t been that bad when he plays, but those injuries obviously hurt his ability to develop as a player who needed to hone his technical skills and physicality. He’s got great length, speed, and good ball skills, but his lack of availability will probably ensure that Cleveland does not pick up his option. That doesn’t mean that he won’t end up there on a short term or low end deal, but we’ve seen this sort of situation play out before.
Luckily for Cleveland, they have good corners already available. Greg Newsome was a very pleasant surprise for them, and pushed Williams out of what was expected to be a starting role. Between Williams and Delpit, the Browns got two extremely athletic but unfortunately very injury prone talents that may or may not have the long term careers that they envisioned on their selection.