Why was DB Darious Williams a must-sign for the LA Rams secondary?

This secondary needed DB Darious Williams back in Horns

This secondary needed a show-stopper, a go-to veteran who was not only outstanding on the football field, but who carried the swagger from winning Super Bowl LVI. A swagger that continues to show up as Williams remains one of the best defensive backs in the NFL, or so says the latest 2024 ranking from Pro Football Focus author John Kosko.

For comparison's sake, current Miami Dolphin and former LA Rams All-Pro DB Jalen Ramsey is ranked seventh best in the NFL. So how did Kosko describe Williams to justify such a lofty ranking?

"Williams has been one of the leagues best at preventing separation for several years now, but the grades finally caught up with him in 2023. His 85.3 coverage grade ranked tied for fifth among his peers, and now he returns to Los Angeles, where he posted an 81.9 grade in 2019 and an 81.5 grade in 2020."

- PFF writer John Kosko

The Rams seemed to stumble a bit in terms of stout coverage at times in 2023. Of course, we learned after the fact that the drop from Ahkello Witherspoon as the season wore on is the fact that he struggled with some injuries. But even so, there is a sense of a dramatic upgrade by entrusting the secondary to Williams.

Need more proof?

For a new defensive coordinator, the pass coverage has to be relied upon at key moments of the game to ensure that the offense can either retain or reclaim the lead to ensure the win. Williams brings that ferocity and fight to the pass coverage in 2024, just as he did in 2020 and 2021.

As the NFL's 11th-ranking defensive back in 2024, the Rams surely had to cut a massive check, right?