Why the Chiefs CB2 Battle Isn't Nearly As Close As Fans Think

The Kansas City Chiefs' secondary, which has plenty of potential but lacks experience, will be one of the biggest factors in determining how well K.C.'s defense performs in 2026. DC Steve Spagnuolo is relying on several first and second-year players to take on major roles at cornerback.

With the team nearly a week into training camp, everyone is wondering who will win the CB2 battle opposite first-round rookie Mansoor Delane on the boundary. The position battle isn't as close as most fans think, even if early training camp practices haven't made that obvious.

The race is between second-year man Nohl Williams and veteran Kristian Fulton, who is coming off his first season in Kansas City where he appeared in eight games and primarily served in a reserve role.

Meanwhile, Williams is quickly running away with the CB2 job and is even making an argument to become just as valuable as Delane on the outside. The depth chart isn't locked in just yet, but it's about as safe a bet as you can make that Williams will be seeing CB2 reps come Week 1 against the Denver Broncos.

Nohl Williams Holds a Firm Grasp on CB2 Job

The Chiefs may not have been in playoff contention during the final handful of weeks last season, but Williams made a name for himself down the stretch. He recorded four pass breakups over the final five games and left a strong impression on the coaching staff in what were otherwise meaningless matchups.

Williams finished the year with a 74.5 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 15th among qualified cornerbacks. He also posted a 75.6 coverage grade, comfortably the best mark among Chiefs cornerbacks.

Fulton saw a career-low snap count last season and hasn't stood out through the first week of camp the way Williams has. Head coach Andy Reid has sung the second-year corner's praises, tabbing him as one of camp's biggest standouts.

"Yeah, at this point, [Williams] has done a good job," Reid said last week. "He had a good offseason program, the OTA part of it, and out here he’s been strong."

Putting aside any potential talent gap between the two players, Fulton is now dealing with a hip injury that kept him out of Tuesday's 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 work. That's the last thing the former Titans and Chargers cornerback needed as his grip on the role continues to loosen.

Between Delane's shoulder injury, which has him wearing a yellow non-contact jersey, and L'Jarius Sneed gradually working his way up to speed, there are only two boundary corner spots available in most defensive packages. It's also worth noting that Sneed has been getting looks at dime safety, while Chris Roland-Wallace and Kader Kohou project as his competition for slot reps.

The University of California graduate was the No. 85 overall pick in last year's draft, showing the front office had high expectations for him from the beginning. He is the only corner that has worked with the first-team defense exclusively throughout camp, and that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon.

Williams staying healthy and continuing to pile on reps with the starters only strengthens his case as Kansas City's CB2. He appears poised for a breakout season if he continues building on the momentum from his rookie year, and it's becoming increasingly clear that he has the upper hand over Fulton in the battle for the starting job.

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