The Chiefs made their third pick of the day on Friday by making a big trade with the Patriots to add Nohl Williams, my tenth-ranked corner in the class. Williams led D1 in the NCAA in interceptions last season with seven and got four of them in his first three games of the year.
Earlier this offseason, I mocked Williams to the Chiefs in the fourth round, but his value has risen since then, and the Chiefs are able to land him in the middle of the third.
Just eleven days ago, I wrote about five defensive backs the Chiefs should target in the draft, and Williams was at four. Here is what I said about him less than two weeks ago...
"Williams is an incredibly experienced corner and has played 5 seasons of college football between his time at UNLV and Cal. The Chiefs have a history of success drafting corners late in the draft, and Williams fits the mold of what they are looking for in a corner.Matt Chabot
Williams is a skilled corner with the size and length to play on the outside and stick with bigger and better receivers. He has also proven his ability to be a ball hawk on defense, with 7 interceptions in 2024 and 14 in his college career. Williams has a true all-around skillset that will set him up to be a day-one contributor in the NFL, and the Chiefs could be a perfect fit.
The Chiefs will need a solid guy to play next to superstar Trent McDuffie for the next several seasons, and Williams could be that guy. While you can't expect a fourth-round pick to be a plug-and-play outside corner, the Chiefs have had success with corners like Williams, and they will be willing to give him a shot to earn an outside role in 2025.
I have a top-100 grade on Williams and he currently sits at No. 10 on my CB rankings. Most people have an early Day Three grade on Williams, but I would not be opposed to the Chiefs adding him in the third round at pick No. 95. He also could be available in the fourth round for the Chiefs, and if they are looking to add an outside corner, Williams is one of my favorite options."
Williams was one of my favorite guys in the class, as I had him ranked as my tenth corner in the draft and was at 84 on my big board. This was one pick below the exact value I had for Williams, which encouraged the Chiefs to trade up (gave up a future fourth) and get their guy.
Williams will compete for a day one job on the outside, but with Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams being free agents next offseason, corner was a need. The Chiefs also added former top pick Kristan Fulton to a two-year deal, but in my opinion, you can never have too many corners. The Chiefs are able to add a potential superstar with great athleticism and ball skills who could make a serious day-one impact in Kansas City.