The Kansas City Chiefs have a surprising amount of depth at cornerback of all positions.
It’s a yearly rallying cry, not unlike an annual holiday tradition, for Kansas City Chiefs fans: “What are we doing at cornerback?”
For the last several years, it feels as if Chiefs Kingdom has one primary roster concern, one position of need that stands out from among the rest. And every year, it has become the norm for the Chiefs front office to throw a minimal investment at cornerback.
Coming into the 2020 season, Charvarius Ward seemed like the only sure thing on the roster. In fact, it felt as if the cupboard was as bare as ever. Reflect back with me to early March, when the roster only included Ward and second-year corner Rashad Fenton. Perhaps you’ve put such worries so far out of your mind that you cannot recall, but the picture was not pretty then.
Kendall Fuller was getting ready to hit free agency for the first time and it was clear that was going to get a big payday elsewhere. He found what he wanted in a homecoming deal with the Washington Football Team to the tune of four years and $44 million.
Mo Claiborne and Bashaud Breeland were also hitting free agency, although fans were pretty sure the former would not return and the latter was uncertain. Alex Brown and Chris Lammon were technically still on the roster, but nothing much was known about or expected of either.
That left Ward and Fenton as the only known quantities. The total invested in them was a sixth round pick and the ghost of Parker Ehinger. Yeah, that’s not exactly a stocked cupboard for the defending Super Bowl champs.
Even after you fast forward a couple months, the Chiefs didn’t look that much better. Veteran Bashaud Breeland was returning on a one-year deal, but he was out for the first four weeks of the year due to suspension and his contract was only for a single season as it was. Antonio Hamilton was added, but it was clear he was a core special teams play.
Even in the draft, the Chiefs went the first two days avoiding the position they always do. It wasn’t until the very bottom of the fourth round—and surprisingly again in the seventh—that the Chiefs added L’Jarius Sneed and BoPete Keyes. We knew as much about them as Brown and Lammons.
Six months later, the Chiefs defense has largely succeeded because of its ability to defend the pass. One month into the season, the Chiefs were ranked No. 1 in pass DVOA per Football Outsiders and after Week 12, they rank No. 13 overall. While that’s not nearly as impressive as being at or near the top, the reality that Chiefs cornerbacks have more than held their own given preseason fears and missing players all this season is a testament to the team’s coaching staff and front office.
Let’s take a look at the team’s cornerback in greater detail and what it means for the future of the position.