KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs started planning for the eventual lack of cornerback L’Jarius Sneed two years in the past after they picked Trent McDuffie within the first spherical and chosen three extra cornerbacks earlier than the 2022 draft was over.
Their plan for all times with out Sneed was obvious then, however stays to be seen how nicely they executed it. They may come to remorse buying and selling Sneed to the Tennessee Titans for a few draft picks.
For now, they obtained one thing in return versus shedding Sneed as a free agent and getting nothing as he walked out the door. The return wasn’t as substantial as what the Chiefs acquired two years in the past after they traded Tyreek Hill.
However in addition to the Chiefs have drafted not too long ago, it is not unreasonable to anticipate they are going to get not less than one productive participant from what they obtained from the Titans, a seventh-round decide this yr and a third-rounder subsequent season.
Cornerback is now McDuffie’s area, together with the opposite gamers they drafted two years in the past. McDuffie, an All-Professional choice final season, appears prepared to just accept the tasks the Chiefs handed to Sneed final season.
The others are Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson and Nazeeh Johnson. Williams, a fourth-round decide in 2022, and Watson, a seventh-rounder that yr, have already delivered for the Chiefs. Every performed a substantial quantity of snaps the previous two seasons, with Williams particularly late final season wanting like he was able to be a starter.
Johnson missed all of final season after tearing his ACL throughout coaching camp however might be the fourth cornerback this yr. The Chiefs even have Chamarri Conner, a fourth-round decide final season who performed some as a slot cornerback as a rookie, and a few developmental corners like Nic Jones, a seventh-round decide in 2023.
There’ll possible be instances the Chiefs want they hadn’t traded Sneed, who was as regular from right down to down as any cornerback within the league. He was usually requested to cowl the opponent’s high large receiver — on not less than 65% of the snaps a league-high seven instances throughout the common season, in accordance with NFL Subsequent Gen Stats — and he delivered in addition to the Chiefs might have hoped.
He additionally gave them some huge performs, none extra notable than the fumble he pressured in opposition to the Ravens’ Zay Flowers on this previous season’s AFC Championship Sport.
In 57 regular-season video games, Sneed has 10 interceptions and 40 passes defended. He has one interception and 7 passes defended in 13 postseason video games.
However the Chiefs, who’re paying Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones contracts at or close to the highest of their positional markets, have been in no place to afford one other one.
They noticed this coming way back to two years in the past.
