Defensive pass-game coordinator Joe Whitt, who was Williams' position coach from 2009-14, labeled him the "ultimate pro" and compared his presence now to that of Woodson when Whitt first took over the cornerback room nine years ago.

That's heady praise, and while there's still plenty of spring in Williams' 35-year-old legs, he's the first to admit his smarts have led to his longevity. The studying, the mental edge and the on-the-fly adjustments are the things he can teach younger players as they watch him jump routes and deflect passes in yet another OTA workout.

"Experience. You see different things over time, and you just understand what you're going to get," Williams said. "Young guys don't understand that right now. They're making plays, and they're making plays because they're talented. But they're not making plays because they know what's going on.

"When you know what's going on, it becomes a lot easier, and that's really where I'm at right now."

Williams also seems to have struck the right balance between mentor and competitor. He wants to play, and he knows the young guys are here for the express purpose of replacing a veteran like him. He said no one has to "explain" the competition part of it.

But he also wants to win, saying he has "unfinished business" in Green Bay, a reference at least in part to his last Packers game, which ended with an NFC title slipping from his grasp in Seattle 3½ years ago.