KC Chiefs: The Top Ten Playmakers for 2015

Dec 7, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver

(11) catches a pass as he

7. Sean Smith – Cornerback

Throughout last season, Sean Smith established himself as the top corner on the Chiefs. It seemed that opposing quarterbacks rarely threw to him and when they did the pass was rarely completed.

Smith is the exact type of cornerback that defensive coordinator Bob Sutton wants in his man-coverage defense. His profile on NFL.com has him listed at 6’3″ and 213 lbs.

While guys of Smith’s size aren’t quite known for their speed, we all remember Smith’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills two seasons ago. That play is what made me a fan of Sean Smith. Before that play, I was lukewarm with him. I didn’t hate him, but I wasn’t a fan.

Last season was a career year for Smith in terms of being more of a “lock-down” corner. Smith was 10th in the NFL in passes defensed with 16.

According to ProFootballFocus, Smith only allowed 1.01 yards per coverage snap, which was good enough for 14th overall last season.

For those of you that are unsure what yards per coverage snap means, ProFootballFocus defines yards per coverage snap as “the yardage conceded when a player is in primary coverage, on a per snap basis.”

This means that Smith was usually very effective in pass coverage.

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Coming into this next season, Sean Smith will have to pick up where he left off and even improve. Smith has the talent to be a great cornerback. He has a knack for being where the ball will be and has long arms that allow him to swat the ball away from opposing receivers.

This will be helpful as the Chiefs face a lot of teams with good wide receivers, including the Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

Fun fact: At some point in this season Smith will have to line up against his former teammate, Dwayne Bowe, who recently signed with the Cleveland Browns.

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