Kansas City Chiefs: Is This Secondary Best In NFL

The Kansas City Chiefs have run out good secondary units in the past, but this year’s group might be the best of them all.

This KC Chiefs secondary is a mix of veterans and rookies, of first-round draft picks and undrafted free agents, of shutdown corners and dynamic safeties, and it might be the best secondary going right now.

For one, the stats agree. The Chiefs are second in the NFL with 21 interceptions and they lead the NFL with 106 passes defensed this season (the next closest team has 99). Opposing quarterbacks have a 75.9 passer rating against the Chiefs defense this season, good for second in the NFL.

Safety Eric Berry and corner Sean Smith are the heartbeat. Two talented veterans with the Ivy League football resumes and the competitive makeup that even the best coach can’t teach. You get the feeling these two set the tone for the Chiefs secondary.

Berry is third on the team with 55 total tackles, he’s added two interceptions and he’s routinely one of the spiritual leaders in the brief locker room clips that fans see. (KC Chiefs)

Safety Ron Parker leads all defensive backs in the NFL with four sacks. That’s the most regular season sacks by an NFL defensive back since 2011.

Smith is big time. A 6-foot-3, 218-pound cornerback, he’s a converted wide receiver (played 11 games at wide out his red-shirt freshman season at Utah). He moved to cornerback and was good enough to leave school a year early.

He fires up the crowd, mouths off to opposing receivers and nine-out-of-ten times he backs it up. Think Richard Sherman except cool.

Despite an early season suspension, Smith has two interceptions, 36 total tackles and he usually draws the best opposing wide receiver on the field. Smith’s shutdown ability forces a lot of throws – and interceptions – to other parts of the field.

Safety Ron Parker leads all defensive backs in the NFL with four sacks. That’s the most regular season sacks by an NFL defensive back since 2011. (NFL.com)

Parker is 15th among all NFL defensive backs with 62 total tackles, and he’s added 13 passes defensed and two interceptions on the back end. He’s versatile, he doesn’t miss games and he’s always around the ball.

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He also signed the largest deal in NFL history by an undrafted safety. (Baltimore Sun) It’s not surprising that he found work on Pete Carroll’s Seahawks team (twice) and Ron Rivera‘s Panthers defense before finding a home and a five-year deal in Kansas City.

Lastly, the rookie, because rookies go last…

He doesn’t play like a rookie, though. Marcus Peters is instinctive, savvy, competitive. He’s fearless and he’s capable. Your Defensive Rookie of the Year fit into the Chiefs defense this season like a powder blue t-shirt at a Royals World Series parade. It’s uncanny for a player in his first NFL season.

Peters is tied for first in the NFL with eight interceptions. He’s first in the league with 33 passes defensed. He’s returned two picks for touchdowns, and one of those went 90 yards. He leads the NFL by nearly 150 yards in interception return yards.

He stepped up in Phillip Gaines‘ absence as well as anyone in the NFL could have and he turns 23 years old in ten days.

Throw in underrated veterans Husain Abdullah, Tyvon Branch (and upstart cornerback Gaines) and this Chiefs secondary might be the deepest, most balanced unit in the NFL.

While everything starts up front with Dontari Poe, Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, Allen Bailey, Jaye Howard and the rest of the guys moving bodies in the trenches, this Kansas City Chiefs secondary is the total package in its own right.

Next: Draft Day Bargains: 5 Best Value Picks

Take your Cardinals, Panthers, Broncos; Kansas City will take the secondary it currently has.

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