Arrowhead Pride
Since defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo took over with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019, he has gone through multiple iterations of defensive back cores.
Initially, the Chiefs were built around safeties Tyrann Mathieu, Juan Thornhill and Daniel Sorensen with Charvarius Ward and Bashaud Breeland as the starting cornerbacks. The defense was at its best when it could disguise and rotate coverages with the safeties to confuse quarterbacks.
As time went on, the Chiefs decided to prioritize bringing in better cornerback talent, which worked tremendously.
In 2020, L’Jarius Sneed was drafted in the fourth round. Two years later, Kansas City traded up in the first round to acquire Trent McDuffie before selecting Jaylen Watson in the second round.
Sneed and McDuffie would go on to form one of the best NFL cornerback duos in recent years during the 2023 season. Their ability to play man coverage on any boundary or slot receiver was the main reason the Chiefs had an elite defense that carried them to a Super Bowl.
Kansas City complemented the two playmaking cornerbacks with a good, smart safety in the wake of letting Mathieu walk in free agency. Justin Reid turned out to be a great addition, and in the same offseason, the team drafted safety Bryan Cook in the second round.
From 2022 until last year, the secondary was elite, but all of the pieces making up that secondary are gone.
The Chiefs made a flurry of moves to replace their talent in the secondary.
Including the returning Chiefs, there are two players that should be considered locked-in starters going into the season: Gilman and Delane. Gilman was brought in to replace Cook, and Delane is by far their most talented player. Even if Delane doesn’t play on the boundary, he could play in the slot. Delane should be an instant high-impact starter similar to McDuffie.
The questions surround the other spots in the defensive backfield.
What is the best role for these players?
What will end up being the best combination of defensive backs?
When the Chiefs go into nickel or dime, who will come on the field?
Let’s start with the other boundary cornerback spot opposite Delane.
Going into training camp, there are three options to start opposite Delane: Sneed, Nohl Williams, and Kristian Fulton.
Of those three, Williams would figure to be the favorite to start. Williams got the majority of his opportunities at the end of the season when Watson and McDuffie were injured. Williams is an intelligent player...
