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Syracuse cornerback Garrett Williams was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Williams was the 72nd overall player drafted.

Williams was the second SU player selected, following Matthew Bergeron, who went to the Arizona Cardinals in the second round. It’s the fifth time in the last 10 years that the Orange have had multiple players taken in an NFL Draft. Defensive backs Andre Cisco and Ifeatu Melifonwu were both selected in the third round of the 2021 draft. Eight Syracuse players have been taken in the NFL Draft since Dino Babers took over as head coach in 2016.

Over his four seasons at Syracuse, Williams emerged as Syracuse’s best cornerback, typically covering teams’ top receivers. After playing in four games in 2019, Williams had a breakout season in 2020, earning honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors after leading the league in passes defended. The following season, Williams started 10 games at cornerback, leading SU in tackles and tackles for loss. He missed two games with injury, though, which played a role in him returning to Syracuse for a fourth season instead of declaring for the NFL Draft.

SU had entered Williams’ name into the NFL Draft advisory board in December 2021. The board, composed of pro scouts who give opinions to underclassmen players on their draft stock, told Williams late in the process that he should go back to school. He returned to Syracuse for the 2022 season, spoke with Cisco and Melifonwu about ways to stay healthy, changed how he prepared for games and earned honorable mention All-ACC again. Williams made nine tackles against Louisville, 10 versus Purdue and collected an interception and fumble in a win over Virginia.

Williams tore his ACL against Notre Dame, and missed Syracuse’s final five games of the season. He still finished second on the team in interceptions and pass breakups, and declared for the draft on December 15.

The Harrisburg, North Carolina native has been listed on NFL draft projections for a while. Going into the 2021 season, Williams was viewed as another Syracuse defensive back who could follow Cisco, Melifonwu and Trill Williams into the NFL.

“Garrett Williams is really good, you can’t get around it,” Babers said before the 2021 season. “If you can’t see it, there’s something wrong. He’s a very, very good player.”

Williams was projected in various spots ranging from the second-fifth rounds. He presents teams with a capable starting cornerback in the middle rounds, according to Ryan Roberts from RiseNDraftscouting.com. Williams is expected to be cleared by July from his injury.

“He’s a big gamble with the injury, but is one of the most gifted cover-men in the draft,” Roberts told The D.O.

#Syracuse CB Garrett Williams, a likely Friday pick, is recovering nicely from a torn ACL suffered last season. He’s expected to be cleared by July after the procedure performed by #Cowboys doc Dan Cooper. A sample: pic.twitter.com/KDTEoS5J8x

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 24, 2023

He played quarterback from elementary school until his junior year of high school, when his head coach moved him to defensive back during a 7-on-7 weekend tournament. In the first defensive series, Williams intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown. Over the two-day tournament, Williams picked off five passes.

The position change paid off for Williams, who became Hickory Ridge (N.C.) High School’s best corner and eventually collected 13 Division I offers.

That continued at Syracuse, where Williams ranked 21st in program history in total tackles by a defensive back despite playing only three full seasons worth of games. He’ll now have the chance to prove himself with the Cardinals, who finished 4-13 last season.

csmith49@syr.edu
@csmith17_

Published on April 28, 2023 at 9:50 pm

Contact Connor: csmith49@syr.edu | @csmith17_