The Kansas City Chiefs are retooling to make sure their failures from the 2025 season don’t spill over into 2026. A big part of that process will continue when the Chiefs are on the clock with nine picks in next month’s draft, but some of it has already begun with their signings in free agency.
The Chiefs were active in the opening week, signing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to boost the running game and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga to add some depth in the middle of the defensive line. Conversely, their other signings have flown under the radar, including cornerback Kader Kohou.
Coming off a season wiped out by a partially torn ACL, Kohou could have a big role in Kansas City. While his one-year, $1.8 million contract was a small investment, it could have a big impact that changes the trajectory of their season.
Kader Kohou Could Repeat Chiefs’ CB Trend in 2026
Kohou isn’t a household name, but he fits the Chiefs’ strategy of developing their own corners.
Trent McDuffie was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, and Jaylen Watson followed McDuffie in free agency to blast another hole in the cornerback room. Both players were homegrown talents that were cultivated by Kansas City over the years and followed a long line of corners that have taken a similar path, including L’Jarius Sneed, Joshua Williams, and Charvarius Ward.
After spending four years with the Miami Dolphins as an UDFA out of Texas A&M-Commerce, Kohou will not be a homegrown product. But entering his age-28 season, he has a solid foundation that could be developed to be the next player to succeed in this pipeline.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kohou has posted an overall grade over 60.0 in each of his three healthy seasons in the NFL, but it’s also come with over 700 snaps in each of those years. Kohou has also been able to hold his own in coverage, allowing a 99.4 career passer rating on 264 targets, and those numbers would have been better if he hadn’t experienced a rough sophomore season where he allowed seven touchdowns.
The good news was that Kohou was able to bounce back in 2024 when defensive coordinator Vic Fangio moved on to the Philadelphia Eagles. He allowed 42 catches for 335 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions, three pass breakups, and four penalties on 64 targets, and it would have been interesting to see where he would have ended up if he hadn’t gotten hurt during last year’s training camp.
While there may be some rust to knock off, he will get an opportunity to show his worth. Kohou has spent most of his time in the slot with 453 snaps in 202, and Kevin Knowles is currently projected to be his backup, according to Ourlads’ depth chart. Even if the Chiefs take a corner in the draft, it’s more likely to push Nohl Williams or Kristian Fulton for playing time on the outside, giving Kohou a chance to play a big role on defense.
It’s not a signing that lit social media on fire and won’t be validated until the games begin. But Kohou has flashed potential in the past, and the Chiefs' recent CB history could mean that an under-the-radar signing might become another gem in the secondary.