2025 NFL Draft Profile: Nohl Williams, California

Nohl Williams 2025 NFL Draft Profile

College: California

Class: Senior

Position: Cornerback

Hometown: Oxnard, California

Measures

Height: 6’ 0”

Weight: 199 pounds

Arm Length: 30 3/4 inches

Hand Size: 9”

Combine Results

40-yard dash: 4.5 seconds

10-yard split: 1.54 seconds

Vertical Jump: 33 1/2 inches

Broad Jump: 10 feet

Bench Press: 19 reps

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2025 NFL Draft: Nohl Williams, Scouting Report

2025 NFL Draft prospect Nohl Williams is a cornerback with length who has a knack for making splash plays at both UNLV and California. He has the length to play the boundary and has operated in press man, cover 3, and quarters. Williams does an adequate job trailing routes and tracking the football. He could be better at opening his hips and phasing route breaks. He has the instincts to make plays on the ball and has the closing speed to catch up when he is beaten on deep routes.

Williams played his first three seasons at UNLV as a productive, regular starter, especially in his final season, where he recorded 40 tackles, three interceptions, five pass breakups, and a forced fumble as he earned Honorable Mention All-Mountain West in 2022. He transferred to Cal before the 2023 season, and in his first year, he started all 13 games and recorded 53 tackles, two interceptions, returned two fumbles for touchdowns, two tackles for loss, six pass breakups, and a forced fumble. In his final year, Williams again started 13 games when he recorded 52 tackles, nine pass breakups, an FBS-high seven interceptions, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, and returned an 80-yard kickoff for a touchdown. His efforts earned him Honorable Mention All-ACC All-Purpose, First-Team All-ACC, Associated Press Second-team All-American honors.

NFL Draft Analyst Eric Edholm has Williams as his No. 85 player in his Top 100 draft rankings.

Strengths

• Excellent at making plays at the ball; 14 career interceptions and 25 career pass breakups.
• Plays with good instincts and an eye for making big plays.
• Operates great at diagnosing routes in zone coverage and can pounce on the throws.
• Plays with physicality in press coverage.
• Able to catch up with receivers when beaten on a route.

Weaknesses

• A bit too slender to press against bigger receivers.
• He is slow to get out of his brakes on his lateral transitions.
• Allows separation to more adept route runners.
• Not an adequate run defender
• Had an alarming number of holding and pass interference penalties.

NFL Comparison

Coby Bryant, Seattle Seahawks

Potential Team Fits

Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Draft Projection

Third/Fourth Round

Last word on Nohl Williams:

Nohl Williams will bring some ball-hawking abilities to the NFL, as well as his competitive nature, which can offset the fact that his testing numbers are not elite. He has experience playing in every coverage, and that will give him a leg up when he gets to the NFL. Williams is not the best tackler against the run, but the plus is that he is willing to work on that aspect of his game. In conclusion, Williams will not be a starter right away, but he can help in sub-packages and on special teams. If Williams can work on the shortcomings, and they are coachable, he can be a solid NFL starting cornerback.