Clear Winner Emerges in Heated Chiefs Position Battle During Preseason Finale

The 2024 preseason is officially in the books for the Chiefs and now all eyes are on roster cutdown day this Tuesday, as well as the winners of a few key positional battles.

Trent McDuffie is obviously locked in as a starting cornerback, though who will start alongside him in L'Jarius Sneed's place has been a major question throughout the summer. Kansas City has dealt with a rash of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, seemingly giving third-year corner Jaylen Watson the inside track to the starting job.

Watson played well into the third quarter in Thursday night's loss to the Bears. Barring a surprise, it looks like he'll start when the Chiefs take on the Ravens in Week 1 on September 5.

Chiefs CB Jaylen Watson Appears to Win Starting Job

Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson are both competing for the same role, with Johnson likely used in a more versatile way, though each has dealt with his own injuries.

Watson missed the first two preseason games but returned on Thursday. While he was beaten deep by Bears backups in the third quarter for a 37-yard gain, he may have won the position battle simply by being available.

With Williams and Johnson both unable to earn valuable game reps, Watson should step into the starting role in Week 1. That could change over the course of the season, and it sounds like the coaching staff may prefer that, though it's Watson's job for now.

He appeared in 16 games for the Chiefs in 2023, compiling 33 tackles, six deflected passes and two sacks while allowing a 56.3% completion percentage and 103.6 passer rating when targeted. Originally a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Watson now has massive shoes to fill at a critical position.

The Chiefs defense will be tested early and often, taking on the Ravens before hosting the Bengals and Falcons in the first three weeks. Here's hoping Watson is up to the challenge.

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