2022 NFL Draft: KC Chiefs can find solid corners in middle rounds

The Kansas City Chiefs need help at cornerback. Last season Charvarius Ward and Mike Hughes played a combined 1,542 defensive snaps for the Chiefs, and they have both now signed elsewhere in free agency. As of press time, the Chiefs have not added any starting caliber corners to replace them. They still have L’Jarius Sneed and Rashad Fenton who can be counted on, but if the season started today they would still be woefully short on cornerback talent.

While rumors have swirled about the Chiefs’ interest in signing veteran free agent Stephon Gilmore or trading for New York Giant James Bradberry, nothing has materialized with them yet. If that doesn’t change before the 2022 NFL Draft kicks off, cornerback will absolutely be one of the team’s top needs. General manager Brett Veach’s history suggests he’ll do something to fill that hole before the draft, but it’s starting to feel like the Chiefs are taking a different path this offseason.

Traditionally, the Chiefs under Veach have not invested heavily in either cap dollars or high draft picks at the corner position. So far that has worked out for them, but it feels like they may be pushing their luck too far if they don’t sign a proven starter AND they don’t draft a corner until the mid-rounds. That is why I still expect a signing of a starting-caliber player at the position to come at some point.

Should the Chiefs decide to break from their tradition and target a cornerback early, this draft does have some options that might fit in KC. The top corners, Derek Stingley Jr. and Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, should be long gone by the time the Chiefs pick, but guys like Andrew Booth Jr. and Kaiir Elam could make it to K.C. and both fit the profile of the type of corner they would target to start on the outside. Could this be the year the Chiefs actually make an early commitment to the position? Possibly, but what if they once again wait until the mid-rounds? Who might they target to be their next Charvarius Ward or L’Jarius Sneed?

I’ve identified four players that they could target in the third or fourth round that I really like and think fit what K.C. looks for at the position. I’ll give you a quick breakdown of the player, why I like them, and then in case you don’t want to just take my word for it, I’ve got some quotes from other sources that back up my view of the player and some clips for you to watch and judge for yourself.

So let’s get started with what may be the most tempting of my four options.