Arrowhead Pride
Now that the Kansas City Chiefs are no longer playing for the postseason — and dealing with a long list of injured veterans — the focus has shifted to gathering data on young players who may have key roles in 2026.
No player has benefited more from those opportunities than rookie cornerback Nohl Williams. He had already been part of the rotation for much of the season — but with starting corners Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie sidelined, Williams has played nearly every snap over the past two weeks.
How has he performed? Is he someone the Chiefs can count on in 2026?
A closer look at the film from Thursday’s 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos offers some encouraging answers.
Over the past two seasons, the Chiefs have transitioned toward more shell-based zone coverages. Now without cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, they haven’t been as effective in man coverage as they had been during previous years. On early downs, Kansas City prefers to play top-down and limit explosive plays, then get more creative on third down — a structure that fits Williams’ skill set.
This play provides a clear example. The Chiefs are playing a combination coverage, deploying four defenders to the three-receiver side in a box structure. Williams is responsible for the bottom-right quadrant, playing top-down on anything released into the flat.
Linebacker Drue Tranquill handles the bottom-left quadrant. When the running back releases vertically, Tranquill must turn to carry him before passing him off to the deep defender. Williams recognizes the conflict created by the flat route and triggers downhill, finishing the play with a secure tackle.
Since Steve Spagnuolo became Kansas City’s defensive coordinator, his best cornerbacks have consistently shared two traits: the ability to fight off blocks and to tackle in space. Since the Chiefs blitz so often, those skills are critical against blitz countermeasures — especially screens.
This snap is a textbook example. The Broncos run a bubble-screen RPO. Linebacker Nick Bolton hesitates inside, giving the offense a numbers advantage on the perimeter. In theory, it should become a one-on-one between a receiver and a safety. But Williams immediately diagnoses the play — arriving before the receiver can even secure the catch — and blows it up.
Playing RPOs from even-numbers structures allows the defense to stay sound against the run while forcing throws like this. When those plays get shut down, it creates longer down-and-distance situations — and gives Spagnuolo more freedom to dial up pressure.
Tackling also matters against the run — and Williams shows value there as well.
Here we see the Broncos run a read-option concept with the tight end acting as a lead blocker. Williams sees it immediately, defeats the block, sets the edge and prevents quarterback Bo Nix from turning the corner.
The biggest remaining question with Williams is his vertical speed. He wasn’t overly fast or twitchy in college, and opposing offenses will continue testing him downfield.
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