f.Chiefs CB Nohl Williams already looks like the steal of the 2025 NFL Draft through first quarter of the season.f
Sep 30, 2025 3:00 PM EDT
When the Kansas City Chiefs moved up to select Cal CB Nohl Williams with the 85th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the club tweeted out: “We stole Nohl.”
As it turns out, this wasn’t just a fun play on words. After the first four weeks of the 2025 NFL season, despite limited repetitions in the team’s nickel personnel packages, Williams appears to be every bit the steal Kansas City thought he might be. He’s playing good, physical coverage against some of the best receivers in the league, and he’s not giving up an inch in coverage.
The numbers tracked by Pro Football Focus are rather staggering. In 40 coverage snaps, Williams has been targeted eight times, allowing a 25% completion percentage with just two receptions for ten yards. He’s broken up two passes and allowed just a 39.6 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks. He hasn’t missed a single tackle and has been credited with two defensive stops. PFF gives Williams a 92.3 defensive grade and 93.7 coverage grade, which both rank first among all cornerbacks in the league.
Chiefs CB Nohl Williams’ Week 4 Coverage Breakdown:
- vs. DeAndre Hopkins in Week 4: No receptions, one pass breakup on one target.
- vs. Tylan Wallace in Week 4: No receptions on one target.
While the rookie has yet to record his first career interception, there are hardly any worries about that after leading the FBS in interceptions just last year. As his opportunities continue to
Nohl Williams looks like a long-term solution to the Chiefs’ cornerback problems
While Williams hasn’t played more than 36% of the team’s defensive snaps, his snap count has increased with each passing week. Even with Kristian Fulton slated to return from an ankle injury as early as Week 5, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the veteran supplants Williams in the lineup.
“Spags has put him in a little bit bigger role every week, and he seems to be stepping up,” Chiefs HC Andy Reid said of Williams on Monday. “I know he had a couple of nice, physical plays in there against some pretty good receivers. So, I liked what I saw there.”
Whether Williams earns more opportunities to contribute in 2025 remains to be seen, but this move was all about the long-term needs at the cornerback position anyway. Anything that they get out of Williams in 2025 is just a bonus. Players like Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams are unrestricted free agents in March, while Trent McDuffie is only under contract through the 2026 NFL season. Williams gives the team someone to build around in the long term.
About the author
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Charles Goldman is an NFL Managing Editor for A to Z Sports. He has been covering the Kansas City Chiefs for a decade.
Another game, another potential record for Mahomes to break.
NFL Trending News Writer
Oct 2, 2025 7:00 AM EDT
This may come as a shock, but Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is in line to break yet another NFL record.
During Week 4’s victory over the Baltimore Ravens, Mahomes became the fastest player in NFL history to throw 250 career regular season touchdown passes, achieving the feat in 116 games. He now has the opportunity to make more history, which could come as soon as this Monday night’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Patrick Mahomes can become fastest player ever to throw 300 touchdown passes
In the regular season and postseason combined, Mahomes has thrown 298 touchdown passes in 137 career games. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers currently holds the record for fastest to 300, doing so in 147 career games.
That gives Mahomes nine games to throw just two TD passes and secure the record. Even if he doesn’t get there on Monday against Jacksonville, it’s a virtual certainty that he will before he reaches 147 games, barring a major injury.
Mahomes threw a season-high four TD passes against the Ravens last week en route to his 250th. While speaking to Tracy Wolfson after the game, Mahomes had a much bigger number of TDs on his mind moving forward.
“I have a lot of great people around me, a lot of great players around me, and it’s easy when you get to throw to those guys. We’ll keep moving, keep getting better, and let’s see if we can get to 500 or something.”
If Mahomes gets to 500 TD passes one day, he’ll become just the sixth QB in NFL history to do so. He has thrown seven in four games so far in 2025, and it stands to reason that he’ll increase that pace with wide receiver Xavier Worthy back from injury and Rashee Rice soon to return from suspension.
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