Breaking down the 6 newest members of the Kansas City Chiefs
By Matt Conner
Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB, 6-3, 213 lbs., Nebraska
Stats: Hasn’t played football since 2014
What he brings: Every NFL draft has its busts but no one saw this one coming. Even Mike Mayock was a big believer in Jean-Baptiste’s skill set coming out of Nebraska. He wrote, “At 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, he is today’s NFL corner. He’s a lot like Richard Sherman in that he’s a converted wide receiver, but he has the size of Brandon Browner. I think (New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator) Rob Ryan is going to turn him into a future All-Pro.”
Where he fits: Few people saw Jean-Baptiste even trying out for an NFL team and fewer still saw it working out. It’ll be very interesting if a team can figure how to unlock these Richard Sherman comps, but John Dorsey has unearthed a new gem of a defensive back every year since he arrived in Kansas City. The college tape and overall length and instincts were present to make him an early pick in the past.
At this point, however, there are a TON of hopefuls at defensive back. Several spots are obviously locked down from the top: Marcus Peters, Steven Nelson, Eric Berry, Daniel Sorensen, Ron Parker, Eric Murray, Terrance Mitchell. That’s 7 spots locked up and the Chiefs will likely go with 9 defensive backs (10 max) in the regular season. SJB must fend off veterans like Phillip Gaines, Kenneth Acker, DeVante Bausby, Marqueston Huff, D.J. White and Jimmy Hall as well as rookie hopefuls Leon McQuay III (the team’s sixth round pick), J.R. Nelson, Devin Chappell (to whom they gave the biggest UDFA signing bonus), Ashton Lampkin and Jordan Sterns.
If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is. The job that awaits the Chiefs coaching staff and front office is going to require Hogwart’s Sorting Hat.