2022 NFL Draft: Cornerbacks who could complete KC Chiefs’ secondary

Mid-Round Favorites

Between the 70th and 85th ranked players on most big boards, you will find Martin Emerson (Mississippi State), Marcus Jones (Houston), and Cam Taylor-Britt (Nebraska). Depending on how the first and second-round picks are used, it is certainly possible that the Chiefs double-dip in the DB pool in the first three days. Any of the three of these prospects would feel like a steal with the 94th overall pick, the first of the Chiefs’ two third-round selections.

Martin Emerson is a big-bodied and fast individual with a 6’2″ frame that runs the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds and features 33.5-inch arms. His length is in the “elite” category, and he excels at constricting space on deep routes. Although he allowed less than 1,000 receiving yards as a three-year starter at Mississippi State, he only hauled in one career interception, and there are concerns about his catching ability. He tends to settle for breaking up passes rather than trying to take them away. With the lack of depth and experience on the Chiefs’ roster, however, adding a DB who makes his money extinguishing deep routes with a third-round pick would serve as a win.

Marcus Jones is both incredibly quick and explosive in his breaks, but is undersized and makes up for it with overly handsy coverage. Negative points aside, there is a ton to praise about this kid. He was a captain for Houston, is a fundamental, yet aggressive tackler, and is quite possibly the most versatile athlete in the entire class. In his career at Houston, he played all three facets of the game and is regarded as the best kick returner in this year’s draft. He may be a project and could certainly slide outside of the top-100, but he will plugin as an immediate special teams performer and can grow into a rotational corner in his first year within the right system.

Cam Taylor-Britt was a three-year starter at Nebraska, a team captain in 2021, and a major riser in the early days of this draft cycle. His 4.38 official 40 time was among the top five fastest runs for DBs at the combine, and that speed paired with his size and length made him stand out. His awareness and tackling style is the most picked at flaws in his game, but as with all of these players graded as day three prospects, he could take a huge step at the professional level with the right coaching and scheme. His lesser physicality in coverage would likely lend him to being a special teamer to begin and a rotational outside guy in the long term.