Charvarius Ward – Third Cornerback
Throughout the offseason, a lot of Chiefs’ coverage has centered around the inconsistencies of the secondary in 2018 and how this was one of the main reasons the Chiefs were not in the Super Bowl. It goes without saying, the Chiefs will be addressing the secondary in this year’s NFL Draft. Specifically, they will most likely be looking to take a cornerback with one of their two picks in the second round.
Who they will go with is a more complicated discussion. Depending on who falls to picks 61 and 63, it’s possible they will end up with someone like Sean Bunting or Trayvon Mullen. It’s hard to know for sure, as there could always be a run on corners earlier in the draft. But, the point is this: regardless of who they draft, this player is going to push for playing time.
The most obvious man out in this scenario would be Charvarius Ward, who had a surprisingly stellar end to his 2018 campaign. It’s surprising, because the Chiefs acquired him in a low-profile trade with the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for offensive lineman Parker Ehinger. Oftentimes, these trades end up gaining either side little to nothing.
In this case, that didn’t happen. Ward ended up seeing major snaps in the final four games, and according to Pro Football Focus, graded “Above Average” or better in nearly every category. Fans and coaches alike seem to have high hopes for him in 2019. At least for the moment, he’s likely see significant playing time in the team’s sub-packages.
But Ward will have to compete well to keep his spot. Whoever the Chiefs bring in from the NFL Draft will be extremely talented and hungry as well as being a recent draft investment. This could give him a decided advantage.