Getty K'Waun Williams of the Denver Broncos attends mini-camp at UCHealth Training Center on June 13, 2022 in Englewood, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Much of the trade deadline discussion surrounding the Minnesota Vikings has involved a potential upgrade to the passing game, but it is just as likely the team looks to improve its secondary.
To that effect, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus on Tuesday, October 25, pitched a trade proposal that would send Denver Broncos slot cornerback K’Waun Williams to Minnesota in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2023.
The Vikings currently have the league’s worst grade for defenders lined up in the slot (43.8), and Williams has a proven track record over the past decade of consistent play in all facets, grading above 60.0 as a run-defender and in coverage for every season of his career beyond his rookie campaign.
Since 2019, Williams’ 0.89 yards per coverage snap allowed ranks fifth, his 13 stops as a run-defender ranks tied for fourth and his seven tackles for loss or no gain ranks tied for second among slot cornerbacks. He’s an impact player over the middle where Minnesota has been susceptible, and closing their weak link on the backend could propel the Vikings to a legitimate playoff run in a weak NFC after a strong start to their season.
Both defenses are zone coverage-heavy, so Williams should transition seamlessly.
Williams Would Replace Weakest Link of Vikings’ Defense in Sullivan
GettyVikings slot cornerback Chandon Sullivan was deemed a must-bench player by Bleacher Report after being exposed in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions.
Were the Vikings to execute the trade, Williams would replace arguably Minnesota’s worst defensive starter in Chandon Sullivan.
Sullivan, who came to the team from the division rival Green Bay Packers this season, ranks 90th out of 110 qualifying players at the cornerback position, per PFF ratings, with an abysmal 42.2 coverage grade.
The cornerback has been so bad that in late September, Bleacher Report called for Sullivan’s benching prior to the Vikings’ matchup with the New Orleans Saints in London.
Assuming a trade went through, Sullivan would be relegated to the bench while Williams replaced him in the slot alongside starting outside cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Cameron Dantzler, ranked 19th and 34th at the position by PFF, respectively.
Williams Has Proven Key Cog in One of NFL’s Best Pass Defenses
GettyQB Zach Wilson of the New York Jets scrambles with the ball while pursued by CB K’Waun Williams of the Denver Broncos during a game at Empower Field at Mile High on October 23, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Williams, 31, is playing his eighth season in the NFL and has been a productive contributor to his teams in essentially all of them.
The CB has appeared in 98 of a possible 120 games over the course of his career, earning 49 starts. He has amassed 329 tackles, including 23 tackles for loss, 29 passes defensed, 13 quarterback hits, 11 forced fumbles, eight sacks, four interceptions and three fumbles recovered over that span, per Pro Football Reference.
Williams began his career with the Cleveland Browns, playing with that franchise for two years before joining the San Francisco 49ers for the following five seasons. Williams joined the Broncos this year and has appeared in all seven games, starting three of those.
He has proven a key contributor to the NFL’s second-best pass defense in Denver, which is surrendering just 173.1 yards through the air and 16.4 total points per game, according to statistics provided by ESPN.
Williams has tallied 28 tackles, including two tackles for loss, two passes defensed, a quarterback hit and a sack thus far in 2022.