Is Nohl Williams Ready to Become a Starting NFL Cornerback?

After an offseason of significant turnover on the defensive side of the ball, the Kansas City Chiefs will be relying on several key second-year players in 2026.

The Chiefs traded away cornerback Trent McDuffie and let Jaylen Watson walk in free agency this offseason, leading to an overhaul of Kansas City's secondary. The Chiefs' biggest investment came with the drafting of Mansoor Delane at No. 6 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. The other starting outside cornerback position appears to be up for grabs.

In our list of Chiefs On SI player rankings for the 2026 Chiefs, veteran cornerback Kristian Fulton landed at No. 25. His most direct competition, second-year corner Nohl Williams, has the slight edge in our book, as Williams comes in at No. 21.

Why Nohl Williams Is So Important

The aforementioned cornerback roster churn has put Williams in the spotlight. Though he also now has returning veteran L'Jarius Sneed joining the room, Williams is still the best-case solution to KC's No. 2 cornerback question.

Williams, a third-round pick in 2025, is in the second year of his rookie contract. That four-year, $6.3 million deal is a bargain for a starting corner, if Williams can earn the spot. Fulton is in the final year of a two-year, $20 million contract, and Sneed is only signed for '26.

Williams isn't the only answer for the Kansas City defense, but he is the only long-term candidate for the starting role opposite Delane. Williams' play in 2026 is important, but his overall development is key.

Williams' Strengths and Weaknesses

Williams flashed in some very promising moments during his rookie season, but he was only entrusted with 44% of the Chiefs' defensive snaps, including a three-week midseason stretch where he played zero, zero and seven defensive snaps, respectively.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo played Williams a still-significant amount — Williams played more than then-second-year safety Jaden Hicks and much more than Fulton (208 snaps, almost all in the final three games of the year) — but he'll need to earn more of Spagnuolo's trust to become a surefire starter.

What Happens If Williams Gets Hurt?

The Chiefs do appear to have some depth at corner, so they should be able to weather a short absence from Williams.

Between Fulton, Sneed, Kader Kohou and former first-round pick Kaiir Elam, Williams shouldn't be KC's only option to play the boundary opposite Delane's likely starting role on the other side. Again, though, none of those players appear to be a probable multi-year running mate for Delane.

Why We Ranked Williams Here

Williams will still truly have to earn his role, but as we've shown with our ranking of Fulton at No. 25, we're giving the youngster the slight edge both in 2026 and beyond.

With a bit of refinement from Spagnuolo and defensive backs coach Dave Merritt, Williams could be another significant success story for KC's defensive backfield.

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