Joshua Williams Is Facing a Key Sophomore Season With KC Chiefs

After a tumultuous rookie campaign, can Joshua Williams cement himself as a premier corner for the Kansas City Chiefs?

The Kansas City Chiefs and general manager Brett Veach decided that the 2022 offseason was a good time to re-tool the defensive side of the ball, and using four of their first five picks on defense solidified that strategy. After taking cornerback Trent McDuffie and defensive end George Karlaftis in the first round and then linebacker Leo Chenal in the third round, the time was right for another defensive pick.

With the 135th selection in the fourth round, the Chiefs selected Joshua Williams, a cornerback from Fayetteville State University. Williams was the first HBCU player selected in the 2022 draft. After finishing his senior season with 31 tackles, three interceptions and six pass breakups, Williams was invited to the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. He impressed the Chiefs enough to take him earlier than many predicted.

Williams had a good training camp before falling out of favor during preseason games. He was burned on multiple occasions and ultimately was not given the opportunity to be a starter from day one. In fact, he only recorded one tackle in Week 1 and didn’t get another tackle until Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills. He was able to break out and have the best statistical game of his rookie year that week, getting nine total tackles with six of those being solo efforts. The following week against the San Francisco 49ers, Williams recorded the first interception of his career. He finished the regular season with 40 total tackles, one interception and seven passes defended.

When the playoffs rolled around, Williams played just three defensive snaps during Kansas City's Divisional Round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, in the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he recorded five tackles and one pass defended on 89% of the team's available defensive reps. Williams also helped force a key turnover with the Bengals trying to drive for a score in the second half of a tied game. Fellow rookie Bryan Cook tipped a ball that ended up in Williams’s hands, giving the rookie his first career playoff interception in a critical moment. Williams also recorded four tackles in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (23) warms up before Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

It was an up-and-down rookie season for Williams, but there were glimpses of promise in there through the peaks and valleys. Veach and company relied heavily on the 2022 rookie class, and Williams stepped up when it was asked of him. He was one of six rookies on the defensive side of the ball to get regular playing time with the Chiefs throughout the season.

What does Williams need to do in order to make that second-year jump? First, he needs to be more consistent on the outside as a one-on-one playmaker. There were multiple times when Williams got burned, but it’s something that he can work on this offseason as his second year in the league approaches. Right now, Williams is not a starter and likely won’t be unless there is an injury ahead of him on the depth chart. He can continue to work his way into the rotation on a more consistent basis, though, and set himself up to be a starter in 2024 and beyond.

Williams is one piece of a young core of secondary players that the Chiefs are hoping can continue to grow together and become a top unit in the NFL. Having a secondary full of players on rookie deals will help the team be able to make moves to keep this Super Bowl window open for several more years with this core of players. Williams is hoping to be a part of it, and if he continues to battle, making that leap in year two should be the next step in a process that sees more playing time and increased production. It’s now up to him to push the guys ahead of him and see how far he can go. 

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