5 players Buccaneers should target to replace Sua Opeta after torn ACL
By Brad Smith
Connor Williams
Although Williams is listed as a guard, the seven-year vet has played all along the offensive line since entering the league in 2018. In 83 games (77 starts) with Dallas and Miami, Williams has taken 5064 snaps, allowing 43 penalties and 15 sacks. Williams was particularly impressive in 2022, his last full season, giving up six penalties and three sacks in 1,056 snaps for a team-high 78.2 PFF grade.
In 2023, Williams got off to another strong start, allowing seven penalties and only one sack in 497 snaps through the first nine games for a career-high 86.5 PFF grade. For reference, Williams' 86.5 PFF grade was the third highest overall graded center last season among players with at least 400 snaps, and his run-blocking grade of 90.5 was also third highest in the NFL.
In week ten, Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury, and has been an underlying reason for why Williams hasn't found a new home in free agency. Throughout his six-year career, Williams has missed 16 games due to injury, including five games in 2019 due to a torn ACL.
At 27 years old, Williams is still in the prime of his career and can offer a lot as a pass protecting and run blocking guard with experience all over the line. Teams around the NFL have showed interest in signing Williams out of free agency, however, as Seattle has hosted the former first-round pick for multiple visits.