One of the biggest reasons the Kansas City Chiefs have gotten off to a 5-0 start to the season is that they boast the ninth-ranked pass defense in the NFL. Arguably the biggest contributor to the secondary’s impressive start has been second-year cornerback Nohl Williams, one of the best cornerbacks in man coverage this season.
The former third-round pick was a standout defender at California before the Chiefs selected him in the 2025 draft, where he led the nation with seven interceptions. Williams had a solid rookie campaign for Kansas City in 2025, but he’s taken his game to another level in 2026.`
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt praised his second-year defensive back, saying Williams is becoming one of the best cornerbacks in the league.
“I think where he’s trending to is, in my opinion, he’s one of the better corners in the league right now.”
It’s not just the Chiefs coaching staff who have taken notice of Williams’ coming-out party; the other players in the secondary have too, including veteran L’Jarius Sneed.
“That young man, we were just praising him yesterday,” explained Merritt. “And he doesn’t receive that too well in the sense that LJ, myself, and a couple other guys were just saying, ‘Boy, you’re really playing really good football,’ and Nohl kind of always just shut that down because he remembers his M.E.s (mental errors). He remembers some bad plays, but we’re saying you’ve made enough good plays that have helped us win.”
Merritt didn’t stop the praise for Williams there.
“I think that he’s playing at a high, high level,” Merritt continued. “I think they did away with the Pro Bowl, but still, I think he’s playing at an All-Star level right now. So, if he can continue to do that and come up with some more plays for us that can excite and wow the crowd, I think it’s going to be good for his future.”
Williams’ next test comes this Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. It will be interesting to see how much the Chiefs line up Williams against Seattle’s star wide receiver Jackson Smith-Njigba, who already has 717 receiving yards on the season.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said JSN was “elite, really elite” during his press conference on Thursday.
Seattle’s next two receiving options, Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed, haven’t matched Njigba’s statistical success, but both can break off a big play at any time. But something tells me Williams will be up to the job.
