4 Cornerbacks the Chiefs Should Draft as L'Jarius Sneed Replacements

L'Jarius Sneed's time with the Chiefs is officially over and it's time for both sides to look to the future. While some free agents could be appealing options for Brett Veach to consider, he's famous for finding mid-to-late-round prospects that turn into dependable starters.

In fact, Veach's ability to identify talent in the secondary might be his best trait as a general manager. With a number of quality options in the 2024 NFL Draft, you can bet Veach and his staff will be hard at work in scouting these prospects to find a potential replacement.

Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson are all late-round guys that look like valuable pieces now and even Sneed himself was a fourth-round selection. With that in mind, let's look at some cornerback prospects the Chiefs should consider when the draft rolls around next month.

4 Cornerbacks the Chiefs Should Draft to Replace L'Jarius Sneed

1. Mike Sainristil - Michigan

Sainristil was a two-year starter for the national champion Michigan Wolverines, becoming the leader of the country's best defense with his intense, physical play. He's a projected third-round pick, which is typically earlier than Veach likes to draft corners, but he's my favorite one-to-one Sneed replacement and would be a perfect partner to All-Pro Trent McDuffie.

While Sainristil lacks the ideal size at just 5'10", 185 LBs, he plays with a ferocious tenacity that would quickly endear him to Chiefs Kingdom. Over his last two years, he compiled 102 tackles, 13 deflected passes, 10.5 sacks, seven interceptions, two TDs and two forced fumbles. That kind of versatility plays perfectly into Steve Spagnuolo's scheme, making the former Wolverine an ideal fit.

Alongside McDuffie, Sainristil would instantly give the Chiefs the most physical secondary in the league. He's been excellent in big games as well, notching eight tackles and an 81-yard interception return in the National Championship win over Washington this year.

Veach doesn't typically take a cornerback in the third round and McDuffie is the only one he's spent real draft capital on. Nonetheless, there are few prospects with Sainristil's pedigree at the position and I'd be overjoyed to see him become a Chief.

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