3 Cornerbacks the Chiefs Can Draft to Replace L'Jarius Sneed

While the Kansas City Chiefs have used the franchise tag on L'Jarius Sneed, his future in KC looks cloudy at best.

There don't seem to be any hard feelings on the Chiefs' side after failing to reach an agreement on a contract extension with Sneed, but the reality of the business is that it now makes a lot of sense to trade the two-time Super Bowl champ.

And that leaves a definite hole in the Chiefs' defense.

Cornerback still isn't the biggest need on the team, and the Chiefs' first-round pick is more likely to be spent on a wide receiver or offensive lineman, but the No. 64 overall pick in Round 2 or No. 95 overall pick in Round 3 could certainly be spent on a cornerback.

Here are three players at the position Kansas City should be targeting in the NFL Draft.

1. Mike Sainristil, Michigan

The biggest knock on Michigan's Mike Sainristil is part of why he'd actually make a good selection to replace L'Jarius Sneed.

Sainristil is an older prospect, as a redshirt senior who will be 24 years old by the start of his rookie season. That can give teams pause. Is he going to keep developing as much as some of the younger players, or is he too close to where his ceiling is already?

What being an older prospect offers, however, is a guy who is more pro-ready at a discounted draft cost. If Sainristil was 21 he'd be going too high for the Chiefs to have a shot.

You don't want to see the Chiefs totally forsake their future or anything, but as a perennial contender it's more valuable for the Chiefs to get someone who's ready to step in and play at the NFL level than it is for a rebuilding team. And that's Sainristil.

He's coming off back-to-back seasons receiving overall grades north of 81.0 from Pro Football Focus, and he has both the speed and physicality to hang with bigger, stronger and faster receivers at the NFL level.