Chiefs draft grades: Rating every pick in the 2024 NFL Draft
Round 6 - Pick 211 - Kamal Hadden - CB - 6'1" - 192 pounds
Value: Kamal Hadden was the #203 player on the Consensus Big Board. Being within eight spots this late in the draft puts him almost exactly where most experts thought he belonged. He's not a reach or a bargain, just fair value.
Need: The Chiefs lost L'Jarius Sneed, so it makes sense for them to add another cornerback to their roster. Waiting until this late in the draft signals that KC will look more to the guys that were already on the roster to fill Sneed's snaps and Hadden will move into a depth and special teams role, assuming he makes the team.
Fit with the Chiefs: Hadden possesses the size that the Chiefs like in their outside corners, but he isn't quite as strong of a tackler as they typically prefer on the outside.
Athletic Profile: Hadden has a 7.48/10 RAS, which isn't bad, but was the lowest of their draft picks. His 4.57 forty isn't great for an outside corner. He did have a 92nd percentile 10-yard split. So he has some initial quickness, but the long speed isn't great. His vertical jump and 3-cone drill were both below the 50th percentile mark. He is coming off a season-ending injury, so it's possible that he rushed back too soon and would have tested better if fully healthy, but there's no way to know that for sure.
Age: Hadden is on the older side at 23 years old, so he probably is about maxed out physically.
Film: Hadden isn't a very good tackler and is suspect in run support. He doesn't have great long speed and doesn't stick to guys stride for stride in coverage. The good news is that Hadden does have one elite trait. He's fantastic when the ball is in the air. Hadden tracks the ball well and if there's a way for him to get a hand on the ball he will. Some corners leave you constantly yelling "get your head around" or "get your hands up", but that's not an issue for Hadden.
What Do the Numbers and Experts Say?: The PFF Draft Guide gave Hadden a 2/10 on tackling and run support. However, PFF also gave him a 90.4 coverage grade. Last season, before his injury, he played 184 coverage snaps. He allowed 12 catches and had 11 passes defended in those snaps. So he only allowed one more catch than he broke up. That's insane.
Draft Grade: B-
I don't know if Kamal Hadden is a good enough tackler or athletic enough to stick in the NFL, but he has a special trait that makes him worth the gamble this late in the draft. His ability to track and get a hand on passes when they are in the air is truly impressive and could be the reason he makes it. I just worry that if he can't tackle well enough to be good on special teams and he can't keep close enough to receivers to get a hand on the ball it might not work out at all.