Cardinals CB is Star on the Rise

The Arizona Cardinals might have an elite talent on their hands in young cornerback Garrett Williams, and the numbers prove his worth as a rising star in the NFL.

It's been a while since the Cardinals have seen greatness from a defensive player wearing number 21 - it harkens back to the days of Patrick Peterson.

But what Williams has done in his young career is beyond impressive. Despite coming off an ACL tear in his final college season, the young corner made an instant impact on the Cardinals' lackluster defense in 2023.

In 2024, Williams was mostly healthy, played in 16 games (11 starts), and was one of the most talented members of this Cardinals team, offense or defense.

In coverage, Williams allowed only a 56.5% completion rate, giving up just 329 yards through the air, recording nine PBUs and picking off a pair of passes.

Opposing quarterbacks only managed a meager 73.9 passer rating when targeting him, and he surrendered only 5.3 yards per target.

And this isn't anything new. Even as a rookie in 2023, Williams only allowed 162 yards and a 79.6 passer rating in his first nine games as a Cardinal. He intercepted Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith in his first career game.

But Williams has truly begun to hit his stride as an elite starting cornerback in the NFL.

According to Pro Football Focus, Williams was Arizona's highest-graded defender, with an 82.0 overall defensive grade. In coverage alone, that number climbs to 83.7.

Among all corners, those grades both rank third in the NFL. In overall defense, Williams sat behind only Kansas City's Trent McDuffie, and Denver's Pat Surtain II.

Clearly, Williams is already sitting with elite company. But seems as if he's only scratched the surface of what he might be able to do alongside head coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis.

Arizona's defensive coaches have already been able to develop their young talent at an impressive rate. In Williams' case, he seems to have entered the league with veteran savvy and ball skills on day one.

Here at Arizona Cardinals On SI, we gave the award for Defensive Player of the Year to safety Budda Baker. But in a different circumstance, Williams would have been far and away the most deserving.

Regardless, the young corner has an extremely bright future ahead of him. If this is what he can do in his limited time as an NFL starter, he could easily insert himself into conversations regarding the league's best coverage corners in 2025 and beyond.