After taking a page out of the 2022 NFL Draft by trading up with the New England Patriots, the Kansas City Chiefs' third-round pick is officially in!
With the 85th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select Cal CB Nohl Williams.
The Chiefs received No. 85, while the Patriots received picks No. 95 and the 2026 fourth-round pick that Kansas City acquired in the Joe Thuney trade.
Everything to know about Cal CB Nohl Williams
Age: 22 (09/23/2002)
A to Z Sports Draft Projection: No. 117 overall, Round 4
Scouting Report: Ball production and size at the corner will always play in the NFL. Luckily for Nohl Williams, he has both in spades. At 6'0" and just shy of 200 pounds, he is a load on the perimeter with the instincts and hands to turn a risky throw into a win for the defense. You wish he were a better athlete, as his forty-yard dash time and vertical leap resemble that of a safety, but speed doesn't appear to be much of an issue on film, and a 4.5-second forty for a corner of that size is nothing to sneeze at. Any time you have a season where you record seven interceptions–and it's the season before you declare–you're going to turn heads for evaluators. Turnovers are king on defense, and there just aren't a lot of corners who have the combination of instincts, twitch, and ball skills to break on a throw and take it the other way. Williams does, and he will find his way into an NFL defensive back room because of it. - A to Z Sports' Rob Gregson
Career Projection: Good backup with starter potential
Why trade up for CB Nohl Williams?
For those who think Chiefs GM Brett Veach fibs in his pre-draft press conference, he told you exactly when and where he would target a cornerback in the 2025 NFL draft.
“Corner, I think, is actually decent in the middle rounds,” Veach said.
Regarding need, no position group could undergo more change in the 2026 NFL offseason. Virtually every member of the cornerback group that has played meaningful snaps in Kansas City is slated to become a free agent, except for Trent McDuffie, who has a fifth-year option the team can pick up.
The player is a great system fit, playing a physical style. In his past two seasons for Cal, Williams has amassed nine interceptions and 15 passes defended.
