JW #25

Joshua Williams

Cornerback · Fayetteville State

The first HBCU player drafted in 2022, Joshua Williams parlayed a fourth-round pick from Fayetteville State into a Super Bowl ring with Kansas City.

Joshua Williams built a five-year NFL career as a physical, 6-foot-2 cornerback who carved out a niche on special teams while chipping in coverage snaps. After four seasons with the Chiefs that included a championship run, he now brings that experience and depth to Tennessee's secondary.

★ First HBCU player selected in the 2022 NFL Draft

★ First-team HBCU All-American at Fayetteville State (2021)

★ Two-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs (LVII, LVIII)

Path to the league

Williams starred at Fayetteville State, an HBCU program, where he earned first-team HBCU All-American honors and a Senior Bowl invite after racking up 31 tackles, three interceptions and six pass breakups as a senior in 2021. Kansas City drafted him in the fourth round (No. 135 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft, making him the first HBCU product selected that year.

Career highlights

Williams appeared in 65 games with 12 starts across four seasons in Kansas City, winning two Super Bowl titles (LVII and LVIII) with the franchise. His signature season came in 2023, when he posted 17 tackles, five passes defensed and a tackle for loss while helping the Chiefs capture the Super Bowl LVIII title.

2025 season recap

Williams played in 15 games for the Chiefs in 2025, working mostly as a special teams contributor, logging 255 of his 272 total snaps on that unit. He finished with six total tackles on defense as a rotational depth piece behind Kansas City's starting corners before signing with Tennessee in free agency.