Chiefs roster evaluation: Cornerbacks exceed all expectations
What actually happened?
The cornerback group started slow, once again, similar to the defensive line. It took time for players to gain trust in one another. With all of the new faces on defense, players had to figure out not only their fellow teammates but the new scheme. Spagnuolo slowly integrated his system as the first half of the season went along. By the halfway mark in the season, fans were outraged with the performance from the defense.
It wasn’t until after the bye week that we all saw the difference between 2018 and 2019. Injuries piling up sure didn’t help the matter, forcing backups onto the field that brought even more questions. Yet the defensive staff prepared them enough to step in and fill holes when their names were called upon—players like Rashad Fenton, who played well above the expectations of a sixth-round selection.
Kansas City faced some of the NFL’s best wide receivers in 2019. Players including DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Stefon Diggs, and A.J. Brown are just a couple of those the defense was tasked with covering. According to the Kansas City Star, only four receivers totaled 100 yards receiving in a single game against the Chiefs. The only wide receiver on that list was Jacksonville Jaguars D.J. Chark in Week 1.
The other players included running backs Aaron Jones and Austin Ekeler, and tight end Darren Waller. That’s right. Only one wide receiver topped 100 yards against the Kansas City defense in 2019. With a starting lineup of Charvarius Ward and Bashaud Breeland holding down the perimeters, and a mixture of Kendall Fuller, Morris Claiborne, and Rashad Fenton mixing in with the slot positions.
Ward improved off of his limited snaps in 2018 with a Pro Bowl worthy season. He played all 16 games totaling 74 tackles, two interceptions, ten pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. His pass breakups ranked second behind safety Tyrann Mathieu (12). Ward also placed second in snaps with 1,095 during the regular season.
Breeland struggled through the first half of the season along with Fuller, but both came around down the stretch and into the playoffs. Breeland started in 15 games while battling through multiple injuries. Fuller missed five games after hand surgery but came back looking better in a more versatile role. He spent time moving from nickel cornerback to safety roles allowing Spagnuolo to get creative with his packages.
Fenton might have been the biggest surprise in 2019. The sixth-round pick that had little expectations filled in at both nickel and boundary positions. Coming out of South Carolina, Fenton displayed tight hips and struggled to recover when transitioning vertical. One of his best attributes was his aggressiveness at the catch point. That was on full display with his four pass breakups and one interception during the regular season.
To say the back end of the defense improved is an understatement. According to Football Outsiders DVOA, the Chiefs pass defense ranked 6th in the NFL. 139 cornerbacks played at least 100 snaps of coverage in 2019. The Chiefs were one of three teams in the NFL to have four cornerbacks in the top 60 of Adjusted Yards allowed per coverage snap.