3 Second-Year Chiefs Poised for Breakout Seasons
By Joe Summers
2. Nic Jones - CB
The Chiefs drafted Tennessee CB Kamal Hadden in the sixth round. Otherwise, they didn't add anyone to the position group after trading away L'Jarius Sneed. That means extended playing time for guys like Nic Jones, the seventh-rounder who primarily played on special teams last season.
Sneed essentially played every defensive snap. Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson will step up, as will Charmarri Conner, but Jones is slotted to be the guy who gives them rest when necessary. Williams played just under 30% of the snaps last year and that feels like a good approximate number for Jones in his second campaign.
If someone were to suffer an injury, it appears Jones is the next man up to take over those snaps.
Big PBU from rookie Nic Jones ❌ pic.twitter.com/qIc9dILZRa
— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) August 4, 2023
He displayed good tracking skills at Ball State, nothing 12 pass deflections in 2022. Brett Veach has a knack for finding late-round corners and Jones could be the latest example. It wouldn't surprise me if we were talking about him being a diamond in the rough down the line, as we've seen Veach do that numerous times.
Jones surrendered only a 68.2 passer rating when targeted his senior year. He's physical at the point of attack and with another year in Steve Spagnuolo's system, Jones could be in for a big season.