4. Nazeeh Johnson - CB
In 2022, the Chiefs selected Nazeeh Johnson with the 259th pick in the seventh round. As a rookie, Johnson played in 14 games (11 regular season and three postseason) as a special teamer. Unfortunately, going into his second season, Johnson tore his ACL during training camp, forcing him to miss all of 2023.
After missing all of 2023, the 26-year-old returned in 2024 and had to take on an expanded role when Jaylen Watson went down. This past season, Johnson struggled to be productive while playing 48% of the defensive snaps. According to PFF, Johnson had a pass coverage grade of 51.2 and allowed 28 receptions when he was on the field.
Being the huge liability in coverage hurt the Chiefs' defense on many occasions. Still, Kansas City chose to bring Johnson back on a one-year deal this offseason. That said, the competition was brought in for the 26-year-old's spot on the roster in the form of Robert Rochell.
Although Rochell didn't see defensive snaps while he was with the Green Bay Packers the past two seasons, he did when he was with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 and 2022. In those two seasons, Rochell recorded pass coverage grades of 60.7 and 54.9. While that seems to be an upgrade in terms of depth at cornerback, Rochell hasn't actually seen the field at that position in two seasons.
As a result, the competition between the two will be interesting to keep an eye on during training camp. Moreover, don't be caught of gaurd if Kansas City adds another cornerback layer in the draft giving Johnson even more competition to make the roster.