Steve Spagnuolo on What Fuels Chamarri Conner's Success as Chiefs' Nickel DB

Chamarri Conner is off to a solid start in 2024, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo thinks it's because of one key element of his game.

Sep 15, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs safety Chamarri Conner (27) recovers a fumble and runs in for a touchdown as Cincinnati Bengals guard Alex Cappa (65) misses the tackle during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

When Bryan Cook went down with an injury late last season, the Kansas City Chiefs were forced to thrust then-rookie Chamarri Conner into the lineup at safety. The fourth-round pick did an admirable job filling in, proving to be a valuable piece for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo down the stretch.

This year, Conner has picked up where he left off and is more of a full-time nickel piece for the back-to-back champs. Tape from his debut campaign flashed his ability to do so, and All-Pro Trent McDuffie stepping into the top cornerback spot led to someone else needing to take his old one. Spagnuolo's preferred personnel includes Conner on the field, as evidenced by the former Virginia Tech standout's 61% of snaps played this season.

What's allowed Conner to earn an expanded workload and remain a big-time role player on defense? Spagnuolo believes it's a combination of versatility and physicality.

“Yeah, if you watch him – I showed a clip this morning – the one thing he does all the time is gets off of blocks," Spagnuolo said. "Wide receivers try to block him [and] he wants nothing to do with them. Now, not all DBs do that, but he has a physical mindset. He’s a safety playing a corner position at nickel. He’s earned the right to play that, and I put the challenge on him a while back. I didn’t know if he’d be able to do it, that wasn’t what he played in college, but I think he stepped in there and done a real nice job for us. He’s another one of those guys that I think just likes mixing it up physical-wise. We take as many of those guys as we can get because that’s defensive football, right?”

Three games into the year, Conner's box score numbers are impressive. Not only does he have 22 tackles already, but he's also intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble that he returned for a touchdown. In a similar vein to former Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu, Conner seems to have a nose for the football. He's doing a decent job in coverage, too, as his yards per target (6.1) and passer rating surrendered (64.1) are both noticeable improvements from his rookie year.

One area where Conner desperately needs to improve, however, is tackling. He doesn't have a problem flying down the field and delivering a big hit, but his consistency hasn't been there so far. After posting a 7.7 missed tackle percentage as a rookie, that figure is up to a frightening 18.5% as a sophomore. It'll surely normalize over time – Conner's intent, willingness and closing speed are obvious – but it's something to monitor as the year continues to unfold.

Largely, the investment in developing Conner is paying off. The Chiefs' defense continues to find its footing early in the season, and both Spagnuolo and defensive backs coach Dave Merritt were banking on Conner being a reason why. With a knack for playmaking and a good cast of surrounding talent, the second-year safety is displaying the ability to be more than just that.

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