Chiefs need young cornerbacks to step up into Jaylen Watson's void in secondary

The Kansas City Chiefs deserve credit for trying. They knew they had a need and, according to reports, did what they could to try to fill the void. However, the Chiefs are always going to be smart shoppers and when the price for New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore proved to be too great, they stood their ground.

Before the NFL's trade deadline came and went, the Chiefs were looking for some help at cornerback in the wake of an ankle fracture to Jaylen Watson. The injury should keep him out for an extended period of time, perhaps the rest of the year, which is why the Chiefs were reportedly hot on the heels for Lattimore.

Four teams were reportedly in the running for Lattimore before the deadline, but the Washington Commanders ended up serving up multiple mid-round picks and that proved to be too much for a Chiefs team that had already made two trades in the previous two weeks.

After the Chiefs failed to make a move at corner, the team is now placing a major burden on the group of young options.

Going without Lattimore, however, means the burden of filling Watson's production falls to a young group of prospects who have yet to step up when given windows of opportunity in games past. Joshua Williams is the most obvious player, a fellow third-year corner (like Watson) who was drafted with loads of raw potential and length. Unfortunately, he's been prone to penalties and inconsistent play.

Nazeeh Johnson is another player who could step up from that same draft class as a talented young defensive back who lost developmental time early in his career due to injuries. He's been out with a concussion for a couple of weeks, however, and health concerns will always be an issue with him long-term.

Beyond that, the Chiefs can pin their hopes on a few prospects who have flashed bits of potential in the past—mostly in training camp practices or in a preseason game. That list includes former seventh-round choice Nic Jones (from the 2023 draft class), Keith Taylor (a free agent addition this summer), or Eric Scott Jr. (a preseason waiver claim). Those are long shots, however, far down the team's depth chart.

Even as they try to sort out solutions, the Chiefs should be okay. They're the defending champs twice over and sit at 8-0 with a comfortable lead in the conference, let alone the division. Every team has multiple roster concerns and injuries will continue to change the outlook going forward for every franchise.

Let's just hope for their sake that a younger option can step up and surprise the team when given the golden opportunity to be the next man up at a critical position.