Is Trent McDuffie a Top-Five NFL CB? Recent Survey Answers

Following a huge 2023-24 campaign, the NFL decides whether McDuffie has joined the elite tier entering his third season.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) breaks up a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (19) in the first quarter in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

It's difficult for an NFL team to have one cornerback who's elite at the position, let alone two. The Kansas City Chiefs, however, benefitted from that luxury all year long and ended up winning Super Bowl LVIII with L'Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie helping lead the way.

With the former no longer in town, how does that impact the secondary? A lot is expected of McDuffie in his junior campaign, and the former No. 21 overall draft pick isn't tasked with just bolstering the Kansas City cornerback room. The league views him as a top-flight cornerback, making him a player to follow on a national level as well.

In a recent survey, ESPN polled NFL coaches, executives and scouts to find out who the top 10 cornerbacks in football are. McDuffie made the cut, ranking just outside the top five. It's a No. 6 slotting, with his highest ranking being third but his lowest being off the list altogether. Jeremy Fowler documents the pick further.

"McDuffie has made a quick impression in two NFL seasons, earning first-team All-Pro honors with 80 tackles, 3 sacks and 5 forced fumbles last season," Fowler wrote. "His coverage numbers aren't great. On 77 targets with McDuffie as the nearest defender, quarterbacks completed 51 passes for 573 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, good for a 101.3 passer rating. But those on the sidelines aren't fooled. McDuffie can play.

"'He's such a good player -- he lacks unique physical skills but he's about as good as they come with technique, footwork, quickness and feel,' an NFC executive said. 'He continually shows up with big plays in key moments.' An NFL coordinator added: 'Pure, more fluid corner in space than Sneed. Might not be as physical as him but that's coming with experience -- he has that gear. He's going to be a great one.'"

Here's who rounded out the top 10:

• 7: Jaire Alexander (Green Bay Packers)
• 8: Jaylon Johnson (Chicago Bears)
• 9: Devon Witherspoon (Seattle Seahawks)
• 10: Derek Stingley Jr. (Houston Texans)

Trent McDuffie has a chance to cement himself as a top-five CB in 2024

Since entering the league prior to the 2022 season, McDuffie has done nothing but justify his draft slot and then some. In just 11 regular-season games as a rookie, he played tremendous football both in the slot and on the boundary while amassing 44 tackles and seven passes broken up in the process. During Kansas City's run to the Super Bowl, he had another 15 tackles and three pass breakups and brought home the first of two championships in a row.

Last season, McDuffie got even better. Recording 80 tackles, he paired that with another seven passes broken up and five forced fumbles. The former Washington standout also became more of a factor as a pass-rusher, setting personal bests in quarterback hits (9) and sacks (3). For his efforts, he was named a first-team All-Pro. Despite spending the majority of his time in the slot in the weeks prior, he tied his season-high total with 31 outside reps in Super Bowl LVIII.

It's clear that McDuffie is a sound tackler, aggressive blitzer and technically sound coverage player. He's also versatile, which gives defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo the luxury to mix and match coverages. Entering year No. 3, he can ascend to the highest tier of players with more consistent snap-to-snap production. Playing against the NFL's best wideouts as the top cornerback in coverage should help his case.

McDuffie isn't a perfect Sneed replacement. Heck, Kansas City knows doing that directly is virtually impossible. Their best chance to maintain defensive success resides with McDuffie, though, and being a top-six cornerback before your 24th birthday is quite the accomplishment. A year from now, don't be surprised to see the 2022 first-rounder jump a spot or two – perhaps even above Sneed, who's at No. 4 – on the leaderboard.

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