Bryce Thompson

NFC DB Notes: Giants, Saints, Commanders

By Adam La Rose | at June 28, 2022 10:15 am

Jarren Williams has already been a member of two NFL teams and spent plenty of time on and off of practice squads during his brief career. He will be facing a new challenge in 2022, but it could help him land a 53-man roster spot in the fall.

The Giants are converting the former UDFA from cornerback to safety, as detailed by Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. Williams had been a corner throughout his college and professional tenure, but this new position will give him a better opportunity to avoid reverting back to the practice squad. New York is set at the top of the safety depth chart with Xavier McKinney and Julian Love, but lacking in experienced backups behind them. Williams could slot in as a special teamer and rotational defender (to a greater degree than he did in his eight appearances at CB) if all goes well.

“It’s a great opportunity” the 24-year-old said. “I’m really excited, gonna keep learning the position, take the teaching, take the coaching and I think it’s gonna be good for me.”

Here a some other secondary-related notes from the NFC:

• The Saints have a number of new faces on the backend of their defense, such as Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye, but another potential difference-maker could be a player who was already on the roster when the offseason began. In a breakdown of players who stood out in the spring, ESPN’s Mike Triplett names Bryce Thompson as a candidate for a significant role in 2022. The former UDFA saw limited time on special teams as a rookie last year, but has been taking snaps with both the first- and second-team units this offseason. His positional versatility, Triplett contends, could land Thompson a notable role somewhere within the secondary.
• In that same piece, John Keim notes that the Commanders are using 2021 third round corner Benjamin St-Juste in the slot in practices. That’s a notable decision, given his size at six-foot-three, but the Canadian has “looked good” so far when lining up against receivers in that position, including 2022 first-rounder Jahan Dotson. St-Juste had a troubling issue with concussions in particular as a rookie, limiting him to nine games. With better health in his second campaign, he could be in line for a step forward in his new role.