Chiefs' Secondary Lands in Top 10 of Recent 2024 Ranking

Losing L'Jarius Sneed isn't keeping KC's defensive backfield from receiving some major props as training camp approaches.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson (35) celebrates with Trent McDuffie (22) after recovering a muffed punt against the San Francisco 49ers in the second half in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That's what the Kansas City Chiefs will hope for, at least, in the aftermath of cornerback L'Jarius Sneed's offseason departure via trade.

As it turns out, losing Sneed isn't altering how Pro Football Focus views Steve Spagnuolo and Dave Merritt's secondary. The back-to-back reigning champs are getting their due praise following an elite season in 2023-24.

In a recent article, John Kosko ranked all 32 NFL secondaries and came away with the Chiefs occupying a premier spot. Kansas City ranks ninth in the 2024 list, with Kosko pointing to star Trent McDuffie and a collection of "underrated" players as why.

"The defending Super Bowl champions lost shutdown cornerback L’Jarius Sneed in free agency, but they return most of the core that held the team together back when the offense was trying to get going," Kosko wrote. "Trent McDuffie is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, while the rest of the secondary is underrated. Safety Chamarri Conner and cornerback Joshua Williams are not household names, but both graded above 75.2 in coverage in 2023."

A top-10 ranking may be lofty, but Chiefs' secondary boasts playmakers

Starting at the top, it's hard to name more than a handful of cornerbacks in football who could possibly be better than McDuffie. Despite being an undersized player compared to some of his peers, the former first-round pick was excellent last season. Operating primarily out of the slot but spending plenty of time on the outside, McDuffie earned All-Pro honors and emerged as a legitimate force. Behind him are Williams and Jaylen Watson, who have both flashed at different points in their Chiefs careers thus far.

Elsewhere, safety Justin Reid is one of the top leaders and versatile pieces on the Kansas City defense. Coming off one of the better years of his career, he's also getting some flowers this offseason. He's complemented by Conner, a 2023 draft pick, and Bryan Cook, a 2022 pick who's coming off a season-ending ankle injury. Conner could factor into sub-packages in a major way this season, and Cook is expected to pick back up where he left off as Reid's primary running mate.

That's without even considering other options at cornerback like Nazeeh Johnson, Nic Jones, Ekow Boye-Doe or Kamal Hadden. At safety, rookie Jaden Hicks is seemingly brimming with upside. The blend of proven talent and equally intriguing youth the Chiefs have is difficult to build and maintain.

A huge influence in that roster construction is by design, as Veach has made concerted efforts to pair cost-controlled contributors on rookie deals with savvy veteran pickups. The decision to save some salary cap space and trade Sneed doubled down on that strategy. It's a risky move to bank on things to still go swimmingly without him, but plenty of capable pieces remain in place.

Is it enough to offset that loss? Time will tell, although a slip from a top-five secondary to something like the ninth-ranked one wouldn't be hard to stomach.

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