2017 NFL Draft Kansas City Chiefs Scouting Report: Marlon Humphrey
By Ben Almquist
The Kansas City Chiefs should be in the market for a cornerback. If Marlon Humphrey of Alabama falls to them, he would be a steal.
The 2016 season was a tough one for Kansas City Chiefs cornerbacks. The team did not get the expected contribution from Phillip Gaines and KeiVarae Russell made a quick departure from the team. The Chiefs have shown early interest in corners in the draft, and Marlon Humphrey could be ideal for them.
The Chiefs are set at one cornerback position with Marcus Peters. Playing opposite of him will most likely be Terrance Mitchell. However, Mitchell is in the last year of his contract. KC also has Steven Nelson manning the slot corner position. Beyond that though, there is no certainty at the position.
Of the cornerbacks currently on the roster, Terrance Mitchell, Kenneth Acker, and Phillip Gaines are all in the last years of their contracts. On top of that, none of them are wholly reliable. That makes cornerback a position the Chiefs should absolutely be considering in the upcoming draft.
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The Chiefs have shown that they know there are questions as the position. At the NFL Combine, Kansas City scouts and front office personnel interviewed several of the top corners in this draft. Fortunately, it is a very strong class at the position, so John Dorsey should be able to find a good one.
Todd McShay: Marlon Humphrey is a first-rounder, behind Lattimore and Conley. Quincy Wilson could go late-first, early second. #NFLDraft
— Matt Lombardo 🏈 (@MattLombardoNFL) April 18, 2017
Marlon Humphrey – CB – Alabama
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It’s pretty impressive when teams gameplan around a certain player in college, and that was the case with Marlon Humphrey. The star corner was a Freshman All-SEC selection, and it convinced teams to stay away from him as a sophomore. It has been enough to convince many analysts that he’s one of the best corners in this draft class.
Marlon Humphrey brings elite level athleticism and speed. Shows excellent balance and moves fluidly to change direction well. Humphrey is a physical corner who likes to mix it up with his opponents. Uses the sideline as an extra defender and squeezes the receiver’s routes. Aggressive player who looks to make a difference on every snap.
The biggest negative on Marlon Humphrey is that he lacks patience in coverage. He will commit too early which can leave him out of position to make a play. Will bite on a good pump fake or double route. Gets handsy on deep routes, making him vulnerable to draw pass interference penalties.
In many ways, Marlon Humphrey is the exact kind of cornerback that the Kansas City Chiefs like to use. If he is still on the board when the Chiefs are picking at number 27, it will be tough for them to pass on him.
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In today’s NFL teams need multiple corners who can be on the field for long stretches. The Kansas City Chiefs have a couple of guys who fit the bill, but more help is needed. Fortunately, this year’s cornerback class seems very strong. The Chiefs should have no problems getting some secondary help.