Trent McDuffie will make presence felt in second half of Chiefs season

The Kansas City Chiefs cornerback has been waiting for his chance to show what he can do, and he’ll have plenty of opportunity in the season’s second half.

At this point, we’re all impatient to see what Trent McDuffie can do.

Ever since the Kansas City Chiefs selected the first-round cornerback at No. 21 overall last spring, expectations have been high for McDuffie as a heralded cornerback prospect with no real weakness in his game. Coming into the league out of Washington, he’s a well-coached, well-rounded player who was projected to have starting impact from the moment he set foot on the field.

The Chiefs had no problems handing him a starting role in their remade secondary this offseason, and he stepped into a boundary corner role in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals. Unfortunately, McDuffie would be forced to leave that game with a hamstring injury and landed on injured reserve, a move that’s kept him out for the last six games with a hopeful return date of Week 9 for K.C.

Even in that short span of time in which McDuffie made his presence felt in the preseason and into Week 1, the skill set was clear. McDuffie was pro-ready from the word “go” with fluid hips, excellent range, sudden burst, and efficient speed. He’s got the swagger to go against anyone, and he was made to be a press corner at the next level. The best part? God-given instincts that allow him to respond so quickly.

There’s a reason why McDuffie was the linchpin for a game plan that rebuilt the Chiefs’ entire pass defense. He is the centerpiece of a rebuild that was supposed to allow projects like Joshua Williams to grow without pressure. Together with L’Jarius Sneed and Rashad Fenton, the Chiefs were going to be set at the starting spots while sub packages allowed other youngsters like Williams and Jaylen Watson the chance to grow into contributing roles. While McDuffie was technically a rookie, it didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to play like one.

Without their cornerstone, however, the Chiefs have baptized their rookie corners by fire this year—for better or worse. The good news is that the results have been better than expected. That’s not to say some lessons haven’t been tough. Watson has been burned several times even after single-handedly winning a game for the Chiefs with his pick-six of Justin Herbert. Williams’ first start featured big mistakes against Josh Allen and the Bills.

While the Chiefs have to love what they see in the growth of Williams from that first start, they’ll be happy to make room for McDuffie when he is back. The same can be said for Watson, who has already proven himself worthy of his roster spot but should ultimately step aside from such a recurring role until he’s more experienced.

It’s only when McDuffie returns that the entire pass defense can truly be what Brett Veach envisioned this offseason when he set about remaking the unit. The Chiefs’ defense looks faster and more physical than it has in recent years and the unit overall has done a sensational job against tough competition. But what’s missing is that shutdown corner who can give the back end some confidence in late-game situations.

As good as the defense has been, the Chiefs are ready to add a player who will ease the assignments for everyone else and should elevate the defensive ceiling. McDuffie missed a half-season so far, but given how often the Chiefs are in the spotlight, the first-year corner will have several chances even this year to show what he can do.