GREEN BAY – In 2024, they arrived in Green Bay about six weeks apart.
Xavier McKinney was the high-priced free agent with four NFL seasons under his belt, assuming a leadership role from the jump. Evan Williams was the rookie fourth-round draft pick just trying to fit in.
Except Williams didn't get off to the best start in that regard.
"I think the very first practice we had, he tried to come out there with no gloves on, and the very first ball they threw to him in indy (individual drills), he dropped it," McKinney recalled. "I'm like, ah, this guy gonna have a hard frickin' time."
Williams at least can chuckle at the memory now.
"He obviously didn't take too kindly to that the first week," he said of McKinney, smiling. "I kind of had to get with the program."
Suffice to say he has.
Now entering their third season together as a safety tandem, they've developed a chemistry that allows each to know what the other might be doing at any given moment. That, in turn, has solidified the back end of the Packers' defense and created playmaking opportunities that should only increase the longer they're on the field together.
So far this year, much of their focus has been on learning new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon's scheme. But that tedious work hasn't altered any enthusiasm about what 2026 can bring for the duo.
"It's grown a lot," McKinney said of their relationship. "I think you're going to see it at its peak, like its peak performance, especially this year."
It will be difficult for McKinney to top what he's accomplished his first two seasons with the Packers, but he'll use every ounce of his diligence and never-ending hunger to try.
McKinney has two AP All-Pro selections to his credit, making the first team with eight interceptions in 2024. He became the first Packers defensive back to earn first-team All-Pro honors since Hall of Famer Charles Woodson in 2009.
He followed that up with a second-team selection last season, recording double-digit passes defensed for the second straight year and boosting his tackle total from 85 to 102, even though his INTs slipped to just two.
Meanwhile, Williams needed some time to gain his footing as a rookie, but when he made the game-clinching fourth-down pass breakup in his first career start at Los Angeles in Week 5, he proved he belonged.
When healthy, he's been a regular starter since, and he led the team in interceptions last season with three, including a game-saver in the end zone to beat the Giants last November. He also racked up 89 tackles, nearly double his rookie total of 47.
He's grateful for McKinney's mentorship and tutelage, much of which he's absorbed simply by watching how an established pro stays on top of his game on a daily basis.
"He's mostly taught me just about the everyday habits that make him who he is," Williams said. "A lot of people don't see the behind the scenes and how intentional he is during practices. That was definitely one thing that stood out to me when I first got here.
"In every walk-through, he's taking that thing serious, right? He's making sure he's exactly where he needs to be aligned, going through assignment, going through his keys … getting full reps in a walk-through."
From McKinney's perspective, he's been impressed with Williams' maturation – glove jokes aside – which earned the All-Pro's trust as last season progressed. That trust goes hand in hand with their chemistry in live action.
Because for certain defensive calls, McKinney might like to attack the line of scrimmage, or drop back to roam in centerfield. When the All-Pro can count on the young sidekick to cover for him and be where he's supposed to be, he feels "freed up" and can maximize on his instincts.
It cuts both ways, too. Williams has shown he can bring a physical presence to the box (four tackle for loss last season) as well as cover ground deep, so sometimes it's his turn to anticipate and gain an edge at the snap.
"Playing off each other is extremely important for the both of us," McKinney said. "I trust him. I don't have to be worried about this down or that down, what's going to happen. I can just be like, 'You go do you, I'm gonna do me,' and we're gonna make it work."
That connection wasn't forged overnight, though. It's been two-plus years in the making, demanding constant communication off the field in order to reduce how much is actually required on it.
"You're not going to get that trust first day," Williams said. "It's definitely something where you gotta make those mistakes, you gotta talk about it, you gotta watch film together.
"Coming in my first year I was more worried about just getting on the field in the first place, and then the more you get to play alongside (number) 29, I feel like we've both gotten a feel for each other's tendencies, what each other likes to do in certain sets and certain looks. It's a thing where you don't have to say too much pre-snap. You kind of have a feeling what he's going to do."
How that symbiosis manifests itself under Gannon remains to be seen, but they're both looking forward to finding out. The partnership is in its best place yet.
"It's gonna be fun, man," McKinney said. "We've had a relationship ever since he got here, and it's done nothing but just grow. Now we're at a point where he's older, obviously I'm an older guy, and you're going to see it really take the next step."
