How Will Newly Drafted Defensive Backs Be Utilized By Chiefs?

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The Kansas City Chiefs rebuilt their defense throughout the 2022 NFL Draft. In fact, seven of their 10 total selections were used on defensive players. There was a very clear area where the Chiefs were looking to add depth, however. Five of the seven defenders who were selected by Kansas City turned out to be defensive backs.

On the surface, the Chiefs appeared to have added a solid mix of physicality, instincts and plus athleticism with all of these selections in the secondary. They found some nice value in round one, as they selected Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie, making him the third cornerback to be selected. At the same time, Kansas City went to the defensive back well three times on the final day of the draft. This included the selections of Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson and Nazeeh Johnson.

With a much deeper defensive back room, one would have to wonder how all of these pieces will be used or utilized. Will some players be asked to only play at one spot, whether that is cornerback or safety? Or, will the Chiefs look to take advantage of moving guys around to different spots within the defensive formation? Plus, these five newly drafted defensive backs have to battle against other faces that joined the team via free agency or trade. How will that element factor in as well?

Some Roles May Be Clearer Than Others

Cornerback Only

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The roles of these newly drafted defensive backs are uncertain, overall. Two or three of those five names may have a somewhat clearer role than the others. Namely, McDuffie and Williams will likely maintain roles at cornerback. From the looks of the current depth chart, it would not be surprising to see McDuffie receive some reps at both outside cornerback and slot cornerback. Although, playing primarily outside may be more likely from the jump. Despite slight differences in size and play style, it is reasonable to think that McDuffie and L’Jarius Sneed could be used interchangeably. As for Williams, it appears that his size and physicality will allow him to remain on the outside.

Hybrids

If there is any indication on Bryan Cook, it is likely that he remains in a safety role. The Chiefs are possibly looking at using him in a somewhat similar role to how they previously used Daniel Sorensen. For instance, Cook can lineup in the slot, in the box, near the line of scrimmage or play single high safety over the top. He may still have a clearer role, despite moving around the defensive formation.

As for Watson and Johnson, it is truly up in the air with those two. Watson thrives in man coverage and can infuse his physical play and stature against opposing wide receivers. Due to how often Steve Spagnuolo likes to press at the line of scrimmage, it is possible than Watson gets more reps at cornerback. Yet, there has been some hints about him getting some safety snaps in the NFL. Nazeeh Johnson has proven himself already at both spots while in college football at Marshall. There may be less of a learning curve with him, when it comes to either spot. Nonetheless, Johnson may eventually have to settle into one spot.

Heavy Dime Usage

So, it may take time to decipher what roles some of these rookie defensive backs will have. While the team works through that with a few of these guys, the recent trends of the Chiefs defense may boost the playing time of these guys. Kansas City has utilized the dime package a lot more frequently throughout the course of games. Being able to get five or even six defensive backs on the field is much more necessary in today’s pass happy NFL.

When you throw in those recent trends and tight position battles, Kansas City could benefit tremendously from a heavy emphasis on adding defensive backs. Increasing the amount of competition has allowed the Chiefs to profit heavily in other spots on the roster. But, it has been a while since we have seen that in the secondary among defensive backs. Kansas City’s success out of the dime package may be advantageous for these rookie defensive backs, as they look to get early playing time.

How Many Rookie DBs Will Get Early Run?

In the end, the early impact could be limited to only a couple of these rookie defensive backs. The two seventh-round picks of Watson and Johnson will obviously have to battle heavily just to make the roster. And just at the cornerback position, Williams has to battle against many veterans in prove it years, let alone the fellow rookie in McDuffie. The Fayetteville State product may also be limited to playing on the outside too. Whereas with McDuffie, he could be an immediate day one starter and see time at both outside cornerback and slot cornerback.

In all likelihood, the first two defensive backs who were drafted may see the most playing time with Kansas City in year one. McDuffie, Sneed and Rashad Fenton are currently the top three cornerbacks on the depth chart. On the other hand, Cook should see early reps at safety with Justin Reid and Juan Thornhill. After all, the Chiefs have used plenty of three safety sets in recent years. We can also not forget how little of a leash Thornhill was given early last season. The duo of McDuffie and Cook may get the most run. However, the traits of the other rookie defensive backs are difficult to ignore during position battles.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.