Will Chiefs Let Trent McDuffie Shadow Top WRs in 2024? It's Complicated

McDuffie is the pick if KC wants to fill the L'Jarius Sneed role, but there's still plenty left to sort out.

Jan 13, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) is introduced against the Miami Dolphins prior to a 2024 AFC wild card game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

If the Kansas City Chiefs' defense is to remain dominant in 2024, it'll take quite a bit of work to replace L'Jarius Sneed in the secondary. The club knows that it's virtually impossible to directly replace that level of player, but his role was a unique one that could be a benefit if even somewhat replicated.

As of right now, the only option to do so is Trent McDuffie. Coming off an All-Pro season, McDuffie enters year No. 3 as the clear-cut top defensive back on the roster. With that responsibility comes great expectations, especially without Sneed in the picture. McDuffie and company are embracing the post-Sneed era, though, and all of the challenges that come with it.

Sneed saw his reputation soar a season ago when he traveled with opposing top receivers in games. Will McDuffie do the same? Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo hasn't quite decided yet, as he admitted following a practice last week.

"We'll see how that goes," Spagnuolo said. "You guys know that almost every game, we had LJ travel with the quote-on-quote top receiver. Whether we do that or not with Trent, we'll see. It'll just be a game-by-game plan. We'll see who the other corner is, who the nickel is. There's still a lot of unknowns right now. We've got some work to do back there – we certainly miss LJ. I miss him every day."

McDuffie's resume itself can't really be questioned. In just two seasons, he's ascended into one of the top tiers of NFL cornerbacks. His first-team All-Pro status from last year justifies that. In 16 regular-season games, the former first-round pick recorded 80 tackles and had nine quarterback hits, seven passes broken up, five forced fumbles and three sacks. That all came with him being primarily a slot corner, although he did spend plenty of time on the outside.

Super Bowl LVIII featured McDuffie practically splitting his slot versus boundary reps. As a smaller player, however, it's only natural to wonder if his lack of interception production and stature would limit him against receivers like Stefon Diggs, Ja'Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson (all of whom Sneed rendered ineffective). Despite that, Spagnuolo isn't too worried.

"He's got a natural feel for all of that," Spagnuolo said. "He's waiting for his first career interception, right? But I told him this before, didn't he get voted All-Pro by his peers last year? I thought that was the hugest compliment to a DB who did not have an interception. That tells you all you need to know. To your point, he does a lot of things really good and I guarantee you, he's got his eyeballs on trying to get a couple of picks this year."

What McDuffie is asked to do in 2024 might have less to do with himself and more to do with his teammates. In the early stages of training camp, there's a pretty wide-open battle for the club's second starting cornerback job. That's without even mentioning the nickel position. Base personnel isn't dominant anymore, making versatility paramount. McDuffie offers that in spades.

Regardless of who else is manning a cornerback spot – Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Nazeeh Johnson or anyone in between – McDuffie is ready. The two-time champ seems up for whatever challenge Spagnuolo puts on his plate any given week.

"I told Spags wherever he needs me, like I always said, that's where you can put me," McDuffie said. "Going against the best of the best, that's why we play this game: to go against the best of the best. Being able to compete, no matter who it's against, I'm ready to do that."

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