The Kansas City Chiefs secured their second consecutive Super Bowl victory last season, despite fielding one of their weaker teams during the Patrick Mahomes era. The defense, on the other hand, showed significant improvement and was the strongest it had ever been in Mahomes’ tenure in Kansas City. However, tough decisions had to be made in the offseason, and one of the hardest was trading away L’Jarius Sneed to Tennessee. With Sneed gone, the Chiefs’ cornerback unit has suffered a blow, leading to concerns about their depth at that position.
According to Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports, the departure of Sneed has highlighted the cornerback depth as the team’s biggest issue. The trade wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for Trent McDuffie emerging as a versatile starter in the secondary. Despite McDuffie’s promise, his new partner Joshua Williams has only started six games in his career, putting pressure on the safeties to step up. The absence of Sneed will definitely change the look of the cornerback group, but under the guidance of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the unit is expected to be ready to perform.
McDuffie’s rise as a lockdown starter and Williams’ emergence as a dependable depth player have been positive developments for the Chiefs. Williams, a fourth-round pick in 2022, has contributed to the team’s success in previous seasons, especially during their Super Bowl runs. As the offseason speculation continues, it is clear that the cornerback group will have a different look this year. However, the Chiefs have shown faith in Spagnuolo’s defensive expertise, as reflected in the mantra on their defense’s t-shirts, “In Spags We Trust”.