One of the early winners of the Kansas City Chiefs' 2026 offseason has unquestionably been corner Nohl Williams. Already, the defensive back was coming off a solid rookie season and had cemented himself as an expected contributor in the coming seasons. This process was accelerated when Kansas City lost both Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie. All of a sudden, Williams has a clear path not only to be in Kansas City's starting lineup, but perhaps to find himself elevated to one of the team's most trusted defenders.
Williams laid the groundwork for this in 2025, playing 273 coverage snaps and breaking up 4 passes while totaling 29 tackles. Add in the fact that Pro Football Focus ranked Williams as the league's 14th-best corner with a grade of 74.5, and the Chiefs had every reason for high expectations moving into year two. For Williams, this has gone from an exciting career path to a clear opportunity to become one of the league's stars.
Even if the Chiefs were to draft a corner early in the process, there is a lack of proven depth at the position, leaving room for Williams cemented as a likely starter. Kristian Fulton and Kader Kohou are the other projected starting corners, and neither offers the exciting upside of Williams. If another corner is drafted in the next weeks of the offseason, it will likely be to compete with Fulton for the final starting role.
Chiefs CB Nohl Williams Can't Help but Enjoy Perfect Start to 2026 Offseason
In the weeks since free agency started, Williams has gone from the third or fourth option at corner to a clear starter and arguably the most important piece at the position. While this could be viewed as daunting, nothing comes easy in life, let alone the NFL, and this represents an incredible opportunity for Williams to build on last season's momentum and continue what has been an exciting development.
The Chiefs have proven that under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the secondary can be pieced together with the veteran coach's scheme getting the most out of defensive backs. This has emboldened the Chiefs in recent seasons to part ways with players that many teams would opt to pay top-dollar to retain.
Bryan Cook, along with the aforementioned McDuffie and Watson, is simply the latest example of a trend that has left the door firmly open for Williams to step into stardom. Playing with the Chiefs provides an opportunity to garner a healthy level of attention, and it is beyond clear that this chance now lies in front of Williams after so many important pieces have departed.
Even if the Chiefs opt to add to the position in the upcoming draft, there is no taking away the inroads that Williams has made and the clear chance the offseason has afforded. The corner has quickly gone from an exciting developmental story to a defender who will go a long way towards deciding whether Kansas City can replace the lost pieces of its secondary. A question that appears to have a promising answer if Williams's rookie season was any indication of the road ahead.