Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo against t
The Kansas City Chiefs have undergone significant roster turnover this offseason and while the core pieces are the same, there will obviously be some new faces replacing guys fans have grown to love over the years.
Joe Thuney is on the Chicago Bears now, Justin Reid is with the New Orleans Saints, and so on and so forth. The Chiefs’ secondary may have lost Reid but gained cornerback Kristian Fulton, and it feels likely the team will target someone in the NFL Draft as well.
Fulton’s arrival creates a potential logjam at cornerback and his production speaks for itself. Unfortunately for one two-time Super Bowl champ, that should mean his time on the roster has come to an end even if he hasn’t been released or traded yet.
DB Joshua Williams.
Win your matchup on special teams. pic.twitter.com/4H7xz9z4f5
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) June 30, 2024
Chiefs Shouldn’t Hesitate to Let CB Joshua Williams Go
2022 fourth-round cornerback Joshua Williams is a popular player for good reason. He’s affable, works hard, and is an excellent special teams contributor. That said, he fell out of favor in the defensive rotation and feels like the odd man out moving forward.
Williams did not play a single defensive snap in the AFC Championship or Super Bowl contests, notching only 38% of the defensive snaps total on the season despite suiting up for all 17 games. He’s an effective blitzer, ranking 20th out of 211 qualified corners in pass rush grade at Pro Football Focus, though it seems the coaching staff didn’t trust him in the biggest moments.
With Trent McDuffie, Fulton, and Jaylen Watson all firmly ahead on the depth chart, Williams will be competing with Nazeeh Johnson, Chamarri Conner, and any potential incoming rookie. Based purely on the way that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo deployed his corners, and Williams’ lack of versatility compared to a guy like Conner, it seems that he’s on the chopping block.
It’s wise for the Chiefs to continue drafting cornerbacks to try to find the next McDuffie, Watson, or L’Jarius Sneed. General manager Brett Veach’s track record at identifying promising players in the draft speaks for itself, and Williams isn’t worth avoiding taking another shot. He’s had a great run, but his time as a Chief could come to a close without a strong summer.
