4. Nazeeh Johnson, CB
Third-year cornerback Nazeeh Johnson endured a miserable season in coverage, getting unceremoniously benched in the middle of the year before injuries forced him back into the lineup. All too frequently, fans watched Johnson get toasted, with guys like Jakobi Meyers and Nico Collins making him look foolish.
Johnson has still shown flashes, particularly on special teams, though the Chiefs clearly need to upgrade the backend of the depth chart at cornerback. Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson are the presumed starters with Chamarri Conner and Joshua Williams helping as depth pieces, but Johnson shouldn't factor into defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's 2025 outlook.
He ranked 165th out of 223 qualified cornerbacks at Pro Football Focus, giving up a 107.7 passer rating when targeted in coverage. Johnson is a pending free agent and could be brought back for his special teams contributions and familiarity with the scheme, yet the front office should be aggressive about replacing him on defense.
Ultimately, Johnson played only 26% of the defensive snaps in the Super Bowl, signaling the coaching staff wasn't happy about his contributions on that end. He'll be 27 years old before next season starts and might seek a long-term commitment, though it's one he's unlikely to get from Kansas City.
There aren't a lot of holes across the roster that needs upgrading. That said, the few positions that lagged behind others left the team playing catchup far too often. Brett Veach will be adamant about finding solutions to the handful of issues as he always has, which means identifying someone more capable than Johnson to handle cover duties.