The Kansas City Chiefs are currently two games out of a wild card spot in the AFC playoff race with just five games to go. To make matters worse, the Chiefs have head-to-head losses to most of the teams that they are trying to catch for those wild card spots, so they really need to make up three games with just five to go. That means it might be time for the Chiefs to start looking at some of their younger players to see if they're worthy of being part of the plan for next season, and no young player is more worthy of increased playing time than cornerback Nohl Williams.
The argument for Nohl Williams really comes down to two things. First, he has looked like he deserves the time because of how well he played in his limited reps earlier in the season. Second, the Chiefs secondary could potentially be greatly improved by making Williams a significant part of their rotation. In Weeks 3–9, Williams averaged 20 defensive snaps per game, including a season-high 44 defensive snaps in Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills. Since that game, Williams has only played a total of 7 defensive snaps in KC's last three games.
The drop-off in playing time wasn't due to Williams not being able to handle the snaps. The Chiefs just seem to be set on playing other players, but Williams has played well. While Pro Football Focus grades aren't everything, it does allow you to put a number on someone's play, and they have given Williams a 74.7 coverage grade on the season. For comparison, Trent McDuffie has a 76.1. Now, McDuffie has played a lot more snaps and faced a lot harder assignments, but it does show that Williams has held his own when given the chance this season.
The Chiefs need Nohl Williams on the field as their secondary searches for answers.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs have had some weak links in the secondary. The Chiefs have wanted to free up Trent McDuffie to play outside on opposing teams’ better wideouts, which is understandable. However, that has caused them to play Chamarri Conner in the slot quite a bit. They tried playing Christian Roland-Wallace there, and he was a clear upgrade over Conner, but then he missed the Dallas Cowboys game with an injury.
While I understand KC's desire to play their best cornerback on the outside, the evidence is clear that Williams is much better on the outside than Conner is in the slot. Again, PFF grades aren't perfect, but while Williams has a 74.7 coverage grade on the season, Conner has 47.0. He's been bad. He's repeatedly been picked on by opposing quarterbacks and has given up big plays. The KC secondary would be much improved by playing Williams outside and moving McDuffie into the slot (where he once earned All-Pro honors for his play there). Steve Spagnuolo even spoke about how he felt good about this combo earlier in the season.
The other major issue in the cornerback room moving forward is what the Chiefs are going to do with Jaylen Watson after this season. Watson has been a fantastic No. 2 corner for KC, and while he had a rough day against the Cowboys, he's a reliable corner, and the Chiefs will definitely want to keep him if possible. However, the demand for reliable corners in the NFL could drive Watson's price tag up to where it may be hard for KC to match it. It would certainly be nice for them to know if Williams was capable of replacing him if his price gets too high.
Yes, Williams has looked good in the snaps he has had thus far, but before the Chiefs pencil him in as the starter opposite McDuffie next season and let Watson walk, it would be nice for them to give him some real playing time in meaningful games. So the argument for playing Williams more works regardless of whether you are making a case for them to try and win out and still make the playoffs or a case for them to play younger players to see if they can play a bigger role next season.
The bottom line is that Steve Spagnuolo needs to embrace playing McDuffie in the slot more and getting Nohl Williams on the field in KC's final five games. Jaylen Watson has been a huge success story and incredible value at where the Chiefs drafted him, and the early signs point toward Nohl Williams being the next guy on that list. Now it's time for KC to give him a chance to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.