The Kansas City Chiefs continue rotating through short-term fixes at left tackle, and the position remains a glaring weakness amid their effort to secure a Super Bowl three-peat. If the Chiefs avoid committing premium assets to the role, they could take another shot at filling the spot in the middle rounds of the 2025 NFL draft.
Cincinnati Bearcats lineman John Williams primarily plays left tackle but took some snaps on the right side of the line in 2020 and 2021. He uses his thick upper frame and wide base to anchor in pass protection. Rushers struggle to overcome his power and rarely find success bullrushing through the center of his frame.
Williams lacks elite explosiveness in his kick step but has enough speed to protect his outside shoulder. He adjusts his movement’s tempo to match the pass rusher’s speed and keeps the door shut on B-gap counters. When Williams goes on the offensive, he uses his jump set to engage the rusher and overpower them quickly.
Williams’ arms meet the NFL’s thresholds for an offensive tackle, but he doesn’t maximize his length. He needs to deploy his hands sooner and prevent defenders from gaining access to his chest. Williams’ punches pack the power to stun and stall pass rushers when he engages his hands early in the play.
Cincinnati plays on the road against UCF on October 12 at 2:30 p.m. CST. The Bearcats are 3-2 this season with one-score losses to Pittsburgh and Texas Tech.