Chiefs Coach Says Key Position Battle is 'Wide Open' as Practices Kick Off

The two-time Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs had a major shakeup in their secondary this offseason as standout cornerback L’Jarius Snead was surprisingly traded to the Tennessee Titans.

Snead has developed into one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL over the last couple of years and took his game to another level in 2023. However, with Snead being traded, it opened up the door for Trent McDuffie to become CB1, but a lot of question marks on who will be CB2 in 2024.

The Chiefs have done a good job addressing the cornerback position, especially in the 2022 NFL Draft where they took Joshua Williams (fourth round), Nazeeh Johnson (seventh round), and Jaylen Watson (seventh round).

All three players have proven that they could be solid starters in the NFL, making this position battle worth watching this summer.

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo gave his thoughts about the competition between the three cornerbacks on Monday, saying “I think it’s wide open,” per Nate Taylor of The Athletic.

At this stage of training camp, it's too early to say who is winning and it’s a smart move by the veteran defensive coordinator to say that it's wide open. Williams and Watson have the most playing experience, suiting up in 30-plus games since being drafted in 2022.

Williams, the former Fayetteville State alum, played in 16 games last season but only started in two. The former fourth-round pick had 18 combined tackles and five pass deflections. He also posted a 44.8 completion percentage allowed on targets and gave up two receiving touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Watson played in 16 games and started in two last year. The 25-year-old defensive back had 33 combined tackles, six pass deflections, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits.

The former seventh-round pick also produced a 56.3 completion percentage allowed on targets but gave up four receiving touchdowns. 

Williams and Watson don’t have a ton of starts under their belt, which makes this competition that much more difficult to figure out. Chiefs fans will pay close attention to see who wins this competition or if the team will sign a free agent.

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