Grading the KC Chiefs position groups before the 2023 NFL Draft

Defensive backs: B+

Veach knocked it out of the park last year when addressing the back half of the defense. Every defensive back drafted contributed in a major way to the Chiefs defense, save for seventh round safety Nazeeh Johnson who filled in nicely on special teams. Trent McDuffie saw the field on 95% of snaps, Jaylen Watson on 56%, Joshua Williams on 38%, and Bryan Cook on 32%. Winning the Super Bowl with a secondary comprised primarily of rookies is unheard of in the modern NFL. Luckily for Chiefs Kingdom the standard has been set and the youth of this talented defensive backfield will benefit this franchise for years to come.

The cornerback room in KC is stacked. As mentioned, Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Joshua Williams all improved from week to week. They played their best ball in the postseason gaining integral experience that will greatly benefit their developmental trajectories heading into the 2023 season. Each made big plays in big moments and expectations will only continue to rise.

However, it is veteran L’Jarius Sneed that leads this position group. Over the last three years Sneed has proved to be the most versatile player on the entire defense. His ability to force turnovers, shutdown opposing receivers, and sack the quarterback have been on full display since he was drafted in 2020. With additional depth provided by Dicaprio Bootle who is mainly a special teams player, Veach could very well decide to draft another late-round corner. Though this position group is solid, providing further depth is never a bad thing and Veach has proved he has an eye for hitting on corners that other GMs overlook.

The Chiefs safety room also has talent, though the loss of Juan Thornhill in free agency might coerce the front office to consider infusing some new, young  blood. The room is headed by veteran free safety Justin Reid who the Chiefs acquired last year. The former Texan enters his fifth year in the league marking him as the most experienced safety on the roster. A newcomer also joins the group this year as strong safety Mike Edwards was acquired after the Buccaneers failed to resign the free agent. The 26-year-old has a reputation as a ball hawk and played in 94% of defensive snaps for Tampa Bay last year.

Bryan Cook is expected to take on a bigger role in the defense this season. He made some big plays down the stretch such as tipping a deep pass from Joe Burrow that led to a crucial interception in the AFC championship game. However, Cook’s 138.7 passer rating allowed when targeted isn’t ideal. With any luck, the experience garnered throughout last year combined with a productive offseason should help him continue to get better. The additional safeties on the roster include Deon Bush and Nazeeh Johnson, who contribute mainly on special teams. Altogether, this safety group is simply ok. There are no apparent game changers to act as the defensive safety blanket, though the impressive cornerback unit should certainly help mask that.