The Kansas City Chiefs made a big bet this past offseason. Brett Veach traded away All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a haul of draft picks.
And while there is hope that the players drafted in his stead will prove to be starting-level contributors to the team and perhaps even more, that trade had the potential to look a whole lot worse if second-year CB Nohl Williams wasn't playing as well as he is.
Through four games this season, Williams, the 2025 third-round pick, has accounted for 15 total tackles (2 TFL), 4 pass deflections, 1 sack, and a QB hit on 93 percent of defensive snaps. He has blossomed into an every-down starter, and more than just a darn good coverage corner on the boundary. Opposite sixth-overall pick Mansoor Delane, the Chiefs could very well sustain the league's best cornerback tandem for years to come.
Kansas City's massive offseason bet is paying off and Brett Veach deserves some credit for it
It was a major swing that Veach and the Chiefs brass took to offload McDuffie. He had been one of the best at his position since the second he stepped into the league, and continuously made massive plays during the Chiefs' back-to-back Super Bowl victories in 2022 and '23.
But it was clear that sources inside the building felt very confident in Williams' abilities to take on a larger role and turn into a star in his second year. And Williams has done just that. Per PFF, Nohl Williams is the only CB so far this year who has allowed zero percent completion percentage in man coverage this year. The next closest is Josh Wallace of the Rams at over 16 percent.
It's a maddeningly good stat that certainly won't stay true the entirety of the season, as at some point Williams will surrender some catches and yards when manned up in coverage. But it's a testament to the Chiefs that their bet has so far paid off. While Kansas City's secondary has been one of the very few weak spots over the team's 4-0 start, Williams has been doing his job, locking down whoever he lines up against.
Much can be said about the Chiefs' front office. And from the perspective of fans, there are always inadequacies to correct on their beloved team. No franchise is perfect. But the fact of the matter is the Chiefs get it right more often than they get it wrong. And thus far, just like when Veach traded Tyreek Hill, unloading Trent McDuffie and trusting that they can get more value out of Williams plus a bevy of young contributors has been right.
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