The Kansas City Chiefs have focused on the cornerback position this offseason. They selected four cornerbacks in the draft, traded in another, and signed more to provide competition. rice field. The result is the Chiefs’ most experienced cornerback entering his fourth year. With all the new additions, let’s sort out the Chiefs’ corner crop and find out how they fit into Kansas City’s reworked roster.
Base Starters: L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie
L’Jarius Sneed is a high-level player and the Chiefs’ best cornerback since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Little-known after college, Snead went on to win the Super Bowl and join the Chiefs on his team. It was expected that he would grow throughout the year. However, Snead was thrown into the fire when cornerback Bachaud Breeland was suspended. He started in his first NFL game and has held that position ever since.In base defense, Snead plays on the outside, but kicks Snead on the inside when the Chiefs enter the subpackage. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnolo trusts Snead to play anywhere on the field and obliterate his opponents. 3 Coming into his second season, Snead must continue to improve and solidify his position as one of the best cornerbacks in the league.
The Chiefs traded up for Trent McDuffie in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Not only will he come in and play right away, but he will be expected to start right away. McDuffie is traditionally undersized. He was only 5’11 inches tall and had the shortest arms of any of his first-round cornerbacks in years. Where McDuffie excels is his instincts and intelligence. Training In the first few days of his camp, he was showing excellent coverage. McDuffie clings to his receivers and keeps them from making plays, he excelled in college. McDuffie has his moments in between.He’s too smart to have the ball in his hand and play with impact.
The young duo of McDuffie and Snead will provide the Chiefs with two cornerbacks who excel in coverage, versatility and physicality. is.
July 27, 2022; St. Joseph, Missouri, USA. Kansas City Chiefs wide his cornerback Trent McDuffie, 21, poses for a picture with fans after his training camp at Western University of Missouri. Required Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
CB3, for now: Rashad Fenton
Rashad Fenton is in an interesting place. On the positive end of the spectrum, he’s had his best season as a pro, and was the Chiefs’ best cornerback last season. pro soccer focusWhen Fenton left college, he was primarily a slot corner. As he’s grown throughout his career, he’s been a solid corner everywhere he’s lined up. Due to injury, he was asked to play a lot in the boundary corner last season, and he played at a fairly high level.
Fenton, on the flip side, underwent shoulder surgery this offseason. He has yet to participate in offseason activities and is currently on the Physically Unable to Perform List (PUP). The team hasn’t shared much about Fenton’s injury, so it’s unclear when he’ll be back in action. He should have his track inside to be his third cornerback on the depth chart.
February 2, 2020; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA. Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Rashad Fenton ahead of Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium. Required credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports.
Rising Star(ter): Joshua Williams
Joshua Williams could be the player to overtake Fenton on the depth chart. All signs are that Williams is ahead of schedule. Many people, myself included, believed Williams had all the talent to play at the NFL level. Still, it will take time for him to transition from a lower-level college program (Fayetteville State University) to his NFL. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.
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He’s getting top-team rep’s in the early stages of training camp. Williams has a unique body type that contributes to his play: He is very long and uses that length to split passes and scrimmage to interfere with receivers on his line. Williams starts with a jump for the Chiefs as Brett cornerback on the beach he could be one of the steals.
Wildcards: Ronnie Johnson and DiCaprio Bootle
Ronnie Johnson was drafted into the NFL as a cornerback, but the Houston Texans moved him to safety.This was not a pleasant experience for Johnson. plans to return to its original position. Johnson has the length and athleticism to be a solid cornerback in the NFL. But this is the first time Johnson has played primarily at cornerback since his rookie season, and he’s truly a wild card. He could go back to being the player fresh out of college, or he could be the player the Texans were happy to change positions in. Either way, training his camp started and preseason he could start playing games. you can find out a lot more.
While not as famous as some other names on the depth charts, DiCaprio Bootle was a member of the Chiefs last season. He was between the practice squad and the active roster. He primarily played on special teams, and his only appearance on defense was against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He came in after the game was decided and played to prevent cover, so there’s not much to take away from it.Bootle will be in his second season in the NFL, but he’s got playing experience at a high level. is abundant. He played four years with Nebraska before signing with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent. Training During his camp, the Chiefs used Bootle in his second team slot as his cornerback. Bootle earned his place in the first team when Snead played a few times.
Johnson and/or Bootle made this team and were able to contribute more than anyone expected in the spring. Propaganda can be wasted. Only time will tell.
Longshot: Deandre Baker
Aside from Snead, DeAndre Baker is the only cornerback with experience playing in Spagnolo’s system. Experience is usually a plus in these positional battles, but a disadvantage to Baker. Selected. As a result, he truly peers in from the outside. Training Unless he makes a big impression during his camp and preseason, it’s nearly impossible for Baker to crack the roster.
December 5, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Kansas City Chiefs cornerback DeAndre Baker, 30, is celebrating on his GEHA field at his stadium in Arrowhead after taking on Denver his Broncos in the second half. Required Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Rookies: Jalen Watson and Nagy Johnson
Jalen Watson and Nagy Johnson were selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Watson played college ball at Washington State University. He’s tall, athletic, and physically fit for the corner mold typically sought by Spagnuolo. However, Watson is still a project. He has to work on the technical side of playing cornerback, but all the physical attributes are there. His contribution this year should be mostly on special teams, as a deep piece in the cornerback room in a pinch.
Johnson was drafted and announced as a safety, but all signs point to the Chiefs moving him to cornerback. As a cornerback, Johnson is one of the most promising athletes out of college. The Chiefs want him to have elite explosiveness and speed that he can harness and translate into his NFL game. Johnson is definitely a project, but hopefully he can make a real hit for the Chiefs better.
Watson and Johnson will be vying for spots on this roster. To differentiate, you need to be active in preseason and special teams. The Chiefs definitely want to keep both, whether it’s an active roster or a practice squad. Both have cheap multi-year contracts, so they have time to develop to help their chiefs in the field.
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