Patrick Mahomes Praises Rookie CB Christian Roland-Wallace Following First INT

Christian Roland-Wallace was one of many Chiefs defenders to make a difference in Sunday's win over the 49ers, and Patrick Mahomes was happy to see it.

Oct 20, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace (30) reacts next to safety Nazeeh Johnson (13) after intercepting a pass against the San Francisco 49ers in the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

While the Kansas City Chiefs' offense scored 28 points in a Week 7 win over the San Francisco 49ers, it was Steve Spagnuolo's defense that once again stole the show. Just like it has several times this season, that side of the ball shut down the opposition and helped pave the way for a victory.

Contrary to usual games, however, Kansas City got some big-time contributions from rookies on that side of the ball. In addition to safety Jaden Hicks picking off San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace also snagged one of the team's three interceptions on the afternoon. Those turnovers helped the offense, which gave the football away twice, more opportunities to put points on the board.

Considering his background as an undrafted free agent, Roland-Wallace's big play was more surprising than the one Hicks made. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes didn't seem one bit shocked, though, as he recognized Roland-Wallace's upside during the offseason.

"He's a good football player," Mahomes said. "He's been like that since training camp, and you can see it. Some guys just have it, and you can see it from day one. He's gotten better and better. You can tell he really listens to Spags, to Coach (Dave) Merritt, to all the coaches and the players. He sits there and listens to Trent (McDuffie) talk. He's gotten better and better each and every week, and he stepped up today whenever his number was called. I think two rookies got interceptions, if I'm right, so it was cool to see those guys get in the game and make plays."

In addition to his interception of Purdy, Roland-Wallace logged a pair of tackles in Sunday's win. During his five-year collegiate career, he had a knack for impacting plenty of games. In four seasons at Arizona, he racked up 169 combined tackles with 17 passes broken up and a pair of interceptions. He then made the jump to USC for his senior campaign, matching that same interception total while also setting a new personal best with nine passes defended.

Unfortunately for Roland-Wallace, a poor pre-draft process contributed to him not getting selected in April's 2024 NFL Draft. While his size score was good and he posted an impressive 37.5-inch vertical jump, a 4.63-second 40-yard dash with bad agility splits tanked whatever stock he had going. The Chiefs saw a professional football player on tape anyway, and the early results are paying off as Roland-Wallace stepped up when Jaylen Watson missed time due to injury.

Prior to Sunday's game, Roland-Wallace had played all of one defensive snap as a rookie. His 70 special teams reps likely endeared him to Dave Toub and his staff, but Kansas City had next to no real proof of concept of what he'd be in a game situation. Unleashed in the defensive backfield out of necessity against San Francisco, he made the most of it.

Roland-Wallace was opportunistic, which is a theme of the current Chiefs defense.

Read More: Four Takeaways from the Chiefs' 28-18 Win Over the 49ers