How the Kansas City Chiefs second-year players could make a leap forward
By Matt Conner
TREMON SMITH
Round: 6
What We’ve Seen: In one sense, Tremon Smith has been a bit of a letdown at his natural position, a cornerback who couldn’t make a difference on a team looking for any signs of life at the very spot. At the same team, he was brought in primarily as an excellent returner with top-end speed and he made the Chiefs proud with his special teams efforts last season.
As a sixth round pick out of Central Arkansas, fans should have expected to see very little in terms of production in the secondary from Smith. Then again, an undrafted free agent like Charvarius Ward can come in and compete for minutes while also being a small-school prospect (Middle Tennessee State). Fortunately, Smith remains in place as the team’s likely kick returner. Despite not having a touchdown last season, Smith was a threat to score several times.
What We Could See: An electric returner once again with a year’s experience on special teams and defense to be able to also step in and contribute in the secondary. The Chiefs likely aren’t counting on Smith directly, but they’ve enough bits of pasta at the walls to see someone stick—a la Ward, Smith, Rashad Fenton, et al. It’d be nice if Smith was able to turn a corner and provide a surprise boost of talent and security at corner.