Some schools have a way with positions. Penn State churns out linebackers like a fast food restaurant dishes out hamburgers. Ohio State does the same with wide receivers. And the Washington Huskies know a thing or two about coaching up elite defensive backs.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been wise to partake in Washington's bounty, and those corners form the foundation of the best stories and players wearing No. 22. As we continue our journey mining for the franchise's most memorable moments for each jersey number, from 1 to 99, we've arrived at a bounty of elite DBs and more.
The complete history of Chiefs players to wear No. 22
The Cream of the Crop: Marcus Peters & Trent McDuffie
It feels impossible to separate Peters and McDuffie at this juncture, which also feels like a disservice to both.
Marcus Peters was immediately one of the most impactful corners to play the game in a generation, an overly confident defender who got into the heads of every opposing quarterback who knew he would not only take chances but make good on those gambles time after time. He returned a league-leading 8 interceptions for an astounding 280 yards in his rookie campaign in 2015 and deflected a league-leading 26 passes, all of which won him Defensive Rookie of the Year. Peters had an uncoachable nose for the ball and changed the way offenses prepared for the Chiefs.
McDuffie brought the same level of impact as the cream of the crop in perhaps the greatest draft class in Chiefs history. His elite instincts allowed him to play larger than his 5-11, 193-lb. frame from the beginning, and he became the ultimate cornerstone for Steve Spagnuolo's secondary as a versatile lockdown defender. The results speak for themselves: three Super Bowl appearances and two rings in four seasons in Kansas City.
What keeps Peters from edging McDuffie, or vice versa, is that both players were only around for a few seasons. McDuffie remained one year longer than Peters, but Peters was arguably the more fearsome of the two. The Chiefs jettisoned Peters to the Baltimore Ravens after his mercurial personality wore thin, while McDuffie's trade to the L.A. Rams was all about shifting financial concerns and resetting the defense with a haul of picks.
Some Chiefs fans might favor one over the other, but the truth is that both were elite young corners from the moment they arrived. Given the results, expect K.C. to keep a watch on the Huskies' pipeline to the pros.
The Pendulum Swing: Juan Thornhill
In 2019, the Chiefs hired Steve Spagnuolo to take over as defensive coordinator for Bob Sutton and immediately went to work on the secondary. Tyrann Mathieu was signed in free agency, and the Chiefs drafted his running mate at safety in the second round: Virginia Tech's Juan Thornhill. A starter from Week 1, Thornhill looked the part as a physical defender with ball skills who came away with 3 picks in that first season. But a torn ACL suffered in Week 17 not only robbed him of the team's postseason run toward Super Bowl glory, but it also significantly altered his trajectory. Not only did Thornhill miss time in his second season, but he was benched for Dan Sorensen to start his third year in the league. It wasn't until his final season in K.C., in 2022, that Thornhill would look something like the older version before leaving K.C. on a three-year deal with the Cleveland Browns.
The Duluth Bulldog: Ted McKnight
The University of Minnesota-Duluth isn't exactly a premier college football program, but they're undoubtedly proud of the work of Ted McKnight in the late-'70s with the Chiefs. The team's second-round pick in '77 led the team in rushing and receiving yards in 1979 and led the entire NFL with a healthy 6.0 yards/carry average in '78. He finished his career with 3,076 yards from scrimmage and was a respected weapon for the Chiefs for five seasons before wrapping his career in Buffalo.
The Sensational Debut: Dexter McCluster
Yes, it's true that Dexter McCluster never found a real home in the Chiefs offense after arriving as hyped-up second-round pick in 2010. Head coaches Todd Haley and Romeo Crennel tried him at running back and wide receiver with scripted looks to mixed results, but no one can take away one of the most impressive debuts in Chiefs history. In a rainy season-opening win over the Chargers, McCluster delivered a crippling blow—a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown that set a franchise record (later broken by Tyreek Hill). He would earn a Pro Bowl nod with two more touchdown returns in his fourth and final season in K.C. before leaving in free agency for the Titans.
Et Cetera
- Jadon Canady, DB - The Chiefs can only hope their slot corner concerns are alleviated with the arrival of Canady, the team's 2026 fourth-round pick out of Oregon.
- Willie Mitchell, S - Held down a starting spot in the Chiefs secondary toward the end of their AFL run but was embarrassed for two touchdowns in the team's loss to the Packers in Super Bowl I.
- Rashaan Sheehee, RB/KR - Speaking of Washington Huskies, this former third-round pick lost his love for the game after a couple of seasons.
- Sherman Cocroft, DB - Undrafted signing out of San Jose State who started at safety on some forgettable mid-'80s defenses.
- Dexter McLeon, CB - Came over from the St. Louis Rams to join Dick Vermeil in the last few years of a long and underappreciated career.
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