Former Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed will be a first ballot Hall of Famer when eligible next year. Considered by some to be the best player at his position in NFL history, Reed earned nine Pro Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl title in his 11 seasons with the Ravens.
Having played against Reed many times throughout his career, fellow future Hall of Famer Drew Brees knows exactly what the man brought to the table.
That’s why it’s so darn surprising that the New Orleans Saints’ quarterback would compare one of his team’s young players, safety Marcus Williams, to Mr. Reed himself.
High praise from Drew Brees on S Marcus Williams: “I compare him just as you look at guys in history, you know if you’ve ever played against Ed Reed … try and get him leaning one way and still you throw a ball and be like how did he get there? Marcus makes some of those plays.”
— Herbie Teope (@HerbieTeope) August 4, 2018
Brees isn’t one to throw out praise like this. Mentioning Williams in the same breath as Reed is pretty darn eye-opening. He sees what the second-year safety does on a consistent basis in practice, and Reed came to mind first.
Unfortunately for Williams, he’s known more nationally for a disastrous game-ending mistake against the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs last season (watch here).
But that doesn’t even come close to telling the entire story. As a rookie last season, Williams was a borderline Pro Bowl-caliber player. The second-round pick from Utah recorded 71 tackles and four interceptions while defending seven passes.
Now entering his sophomore campaign, Williams is out here watching his quarterback compare the young man to one of the best safeties ever.
Mighty big expectations, indeed.