Chiefs may have just built one of the NFL’s best man coverage secondary units

The Kansas City Chiefs' secondary underwent a complete overhaul this offseason, as the team moved on from three of its five starters on the back end. Bryan Cook and Jaylen Watson departed through free agency, while superstar Trent McDuffie was traded to the Rams after contract negotiations stalled out. But along with the three major departures came some major additions as the Chiefs looked to bounce back after a dreadful 2025 season.

The Chiefs dedicated themselves to the youth movement, making two major cornerback picks in the draft. Brett Veach fell in love with top corner Mansoor Delane, trading up and selecting him with the sixth overall pick in the draft. Later on, the Chiefs also addressed their slot corner position, adding one of the best coverage corners in the draft in Jadon Canady with pick No. 109.

The Chiefs also will lean on young returning players like Jaden Hicks and Nohl Williams to step into starting roles this season. But of course, Steve Spagnuolo needed to land his veteran safety, and the Chiefs went out and signed Alohi Gilman to a three-year, $24.75 million deal. Kansas City will also return Chris Roland-Wallace and Chamarri Conner, as well as make two smaller additions with Kaiir Elam and Kader Kohou to fill out the secondary.

If one thing is clear with the Chiefs' additions this offseason, they prioritized coverage corners who can stick man-to-man all over the field. Delane is a superstar, and he will immediately become one of the best coverage corners in the NFL. Nohl Williams looked like one of the best rookie corners in the NFL when he played last season. In the slot, Chris Roland-Wallace, Jadon Canady, and Kader Kohou all specialize in their ability to stick in man coverage.

The Chiefs' safeties reflect this as well, as Alohi Gilman and Jaden Hicks are known for their ability to play close to the line of scrimmage and stick with running backs as well as tight ends. Conner and Chris Roland-Wallace will likely be used as hybrid players who can play several different spots, including some free safety, lurking over the top.

It is also worth mentioning that UDFA pickup Xavier Nwankpa was a star free safety for Iowa and can also play that over-the-top, lurking free safety role.

Steve Spagnuolo is well known as one of the most aggressive defensive coordinators in the NFL, and he loves to ramp up blitzes, especially as the game goes on. This new secondary unit for the Chiefs will allow Spagnuolo to do just that and still feel confident that his corners can hold up in coverage across the board.

With the way the NFL has shifted over the last several years, the Chiefs want to live in their nickel defense, which they run almost 65% of the time. This year, the Chiefs have leaned into that, adding fast, quick, and skilled defensive backs who can stick in man coverage with consistency. This added speed and quickness also expands the Chiefs' ability to rush the passer, as they have multiple defensive backs who are able to get to the quarterback in a hurry.

It was very clear this offseason that Steve Spagnuolo had his hands all over the Chiefs' defense, as they looked to retool and make a push back to the Super Bowl. He went out and got the speed and versatility he wanted, and if there is anything Chiefs fans should expect this year, Spagnuolo will lean into his tendencies and dare other teams to beat his style of defense.

The Chiefs are going to keep offenses off guard, giving them different looks and forcing them to stay on their heels as they try to figure out what will happen. But at the same time, Spagnuolo will not back down from putting seven guys at the line, running man coverage across the board, and daring the quarterback to get the ball out quickly. This year, the Chiefs have leaned into that, and you can expect them to have one of the best man-to-man units in the NFL this upcoming season.

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