Cal CB Nohl Williams selected by Kansas City in third round of NFL draft

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Published Apr 25, 2025

Cal CB Nohl Williams selected by Kansas City in third round of NFL draft

Matt Moreno • GoldenBearReport

Reporter

@MattRMoreno

For the sixth year in a row Cal has had a defensive back selected in the NFL draft. Nohl Williams came off the board in the third round Friday after the Kansas City Chiefs traded up 10 spots to select the consensus All-American at No. 85 overall.

Williams shined in his two seasons with the Cal following a stint at UNLV. As a senior the Oxnard native became one of the best ball-hawking cornerbacks on college football.

He led the FBS with seven interceptions in 2024 and continually made key plays for the Cal defense proving his value as a cornerback for a stingy Bears secondary.

It did not take long for Williams to make his impact felt in the 2024 season as he had an interception and an 80-yard kickoff return in the season opener against UC Davis. He followed that up with two interceptions in the Bears' road victory against Auburn in the second week of the season.

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The 6-foot-1, 200-pound defensive back also had a highlight moment in Cal's contest against Miami in prime time as he returned an interception of No. 1 pick Cam Ward for a defensive touchdown in the October meeting.

The success for Cal in the secondary continues with Williams' selection by the Chiefs as he is now the 25th defensive back be drafted. He is the 274th Cal player all time to be selected in the NFL draft.

Williams collected 105 tackles, 9 interceptions, 23 passes defensed, 3 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles in his two seasons in Berkeley.

His performance in the 2024 season earned him plenty of accolades including falling just short of being a unanimous All-American. Williams earned a First Team All-ACC selection last season.

Heading into the final day of the draft, fellow defensive backs Craig Woodson and Marcus Harris plus linebacker Teddye Buchanan are other Cal players hoping to have their names called in the NFL draft. All four players attended the NFL combine earlier in the year.