Lessons learned from KC Chiefs rookie mini-camp
By Matt Conner
Trent McDuffie wants those Tyrann comparisons
It’s been a long time since the Chiefs had a cornerback with an elite ceiling to captain their secondary—not since Marcus Peters and his incredible ball-hawking ability roamed the defensive backfield during his first couple of years in the league. Now, Trent McDuffie is here to provide that lift, and he’s bringing the brow-raising comparisons himself.
For the sake of review, the Chiefs traded third- and fourth-round picks to the New England Patriots along with No. 29 in the first round in exchange for No. 21 overall. With that selection, they grabbed McDuffie, a dynamic cornerback from Washington who is as pro-ready as they come with the sort of lockdown athleticism, agility, instinct, and intelligence that gets a guy taken so early. We forgot to mention he’s just as about versatile as can be.
McDuffie knows what he brings to the table after shutting down opposing receivers for the Huskies for the last three years, which is likely why he feels so comfortable referencing an elite defender as a good example of what Chiefs fans can expect from him.
"“You guys know (former Chiefs safety) Tyrann Mathieu – not a very big guy, but we make plays. And that’s something that I go on to the field every day just knowing that I wanna be that guy that, I call it just like the spark guy – the guy you always see flashing on the screen here and there. And just all effort. I mean, that’s what I can control is my effort, and so just being able to control that and show the coaches that I’m going to run around all over the field with my hair on fire each down is something that I’m going to put on tape.”"
Given the losses of Charvarius Ward and Mike Hughes this year in addition to a slow steady drip of departures in recent years from the cornerback group, it’s nice to see the Chiefs make such a heavy investment. McDuffie will have a clear path to immediate playing time and it sounds as if confidence is not an issue for a guy who will be tasked with a heavy load very early.