Nohl Williams is well aware of the mammoth task before him. As a second-year holdover cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs, he's one of the team's few options ready to take over for some of the offseason's biggest personnel losses.
To recap, the Chiefs watched the team's three best defensive backs depart this spring in various ways. Trent McDuffie was traded to the L.A. Rams, and Jaylen Watson followed him there in free agency. Bryan Cook also followed the money to Cincinnati. Even role players like Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson are no longer on the roster.
With a need to replace so many snaps, the Chiefs are undoubtedly leaning on Williams to make a big leap in his second season after turning heads in limited reps as a rookie in 2025. And the former Cal cornerback admitted to reporters following the first day of mandatory minicamp that he feels the need to step up.
The Chiefs are leaning on Nohl Williams to fill some big shoes, and he sounds up to the task in 2026.
"Obviously, it's sad to see them go, but they went to another great team," said Williams. "And it gives me an opportunity to step up, to try to fill their shoes. And the whole room, really... the whole room's got to step up because those are two good guys," said Williams when asked about the veterans who left.
When asked how the likes of McDuffie and Watson prepared him for this moment, Williams said, "Just how to watch film, how to play the scheme here, how to adapt to what [Spagnuolo] likes in the corner.Just how to work, how to practice, how to just be a pro in general."
Fortunately, Williams isn't the only one still around. The Chiefs have Kristian Fulton in the mix and added plenty of new faces via free agency and the 2026 draft, including first-round pick Mansoor Delane out of LSU.
Williams also noted that he's going to learn from other players who are still around. "I would say Chamarri Conner, Nick Bolton, Christian Roland-Wallace, Jaden Hicks, all the guys out here before me. And I can even learn from the young guys, because the young guys, they might see stuff that I don't see. I always try to learn, soak in all the information I can."
Williams led the nation in interceptions in his final collegiate season at Cal with 7, and the Chiefs are hoping those ball skills translate to the next level now that he's growing more comfortable with what Steve Spagnuolo asks of his defensive backs. Williams had 7 deflections a year ago to go with 1 sack and 48 total tackles.
Williams explained to reporters that he saw a lot of growth in his game, and he's committed to learning more—with an emphasis on his footwork at the line of scrimmage in his second season. But he also knows it's mostly about doing what he can as part of a collective whole to right a ship that went wrong in 2025.
"I mean, it's not about me at the end of the day. It's about just bettering the defense.So it's about just doing the right thing, running to the ball, giving effort, and just making sure my room and defense is just gelling together."
Add us as a preferred source on Google