Mandatory minicamp is underway for the Kansas City Chiefs, who underwent significant roster turnover this offseason but brought in some exciting young players on both sides of the ball. This week represents an excellent opportunity to get a look at these new additions.
One of the most exciting acquisitions is third-round rookie cornerback Nohl Williams. General manager Brett Veach and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo have done a fantastic job of identifying quality defensive back talent, suggesting that Williams could follow in the path of L'Jarius Sneed, Trent McDuffie, Chamarri Conner, Jaylen Watson, etc.
While Williams struggled mightily at OTAs, prompting a message from his position coach, Dave Merritt, he immediately made his presence known during the first day of minicamp.
A few notes from Day 1 of Chiefs Minicamp:
— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) June 17, 2025
🏈 Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce each hauled in TDs during red zone drills
🏈 Nohl Williams made a leaping INT during team drills
🏈 Chamarri Conner made an impressive PBU deep down the sideline during 7-on-7
🏈 JuJu Smith-Schuster…
Chiefs Rookie CB Nohl Williams Snatches INT at Minicamp After OTAs Struggles
As pointed out by senior Chiefs reporter Matt McMullen, Williams made a leaping interception during team drills. He led the country with seven interceptions during the 2024 campaign at California, so it's great to see that skillset immediately translating.
En route to earning All-American honors, Williams deflected nine passes during that campaign as well. He's a ballhawk, capable of creating a turnover in an instant. Growing pains are expected of young players, but this was a strong sign of Williams' ongoing development.
Kansas City's cornerback room is stacked. McDuffie, Watson, free agent addition Kristian Fulton, Conner, Joshua Williams, and Nazeeh Johnson all fit into the mix. It's expected that McDuffie, Watson, and Fulton will be the starters, though Nohl Williams could easily overcome Joshua Williams and Johnson with a strong summer.
Obviously, there's a long way to go. Making great plays is better than not, though, so Williams should be happy about his performance on Tuesday. If he keeps this up, he'll look more and more like the player the Chiefs envisioned when they drafted him.
Hopefully, this will be a sign of this to come instead of an aberration. Williams has the talent to become a long-term starter for this team, continuing the long legacy of Kansas City snatching excellent defensive backs and turning them into valuable contributors.