Before the start of every season, it's normal for various media outlets to take stock of the National Football League to compare and contrast the talent levels of various rosters. Some teams come away looking quite impressive in their ability to construct a roster, while others wince at the sight of their destitute rankings.
When it comes to cornerback, no team can match the Kansas City Chiefs' eye for production.
The latest round of cornerback rankings are out from Pro Football Focus, and current Chiefs players and/or former Chiefs occupy two of the top three and four of the top 12 overall.
The latest Pro Football Focus CB rankings are out and the top 12 is dominated by Chiefs (and former Chiefs).
The obvious lead choice here is Trent McDuffie, who is the Chiefs' top cornerback at present. McDuffie was the first of two first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft for Kansas CIty and the move up to get him at No. 21 overall looks like one of Brett Veach's savviest moves.
Even after playing only 1.5 seasons in the NFL (remember, he lost his first half-season due to injury), McDuffie has been an instant hit in the pros after showcasing uncanny instincts and athleticism. Washington corners are well-coached, but McDuffie was an example even among those peers and now he's listed at No. 2 on PFF's list just halfway through his rookie contract.
Coming up next on the list at No. 3 is Charvarius Ward, a former Chiefs product who has further developed into a true lockdown cornerback with the San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs once traded Parker Ehinger for Ward in a preseason swap with the Dallas Cowboys back when Ward was an undrafted free agent from MTSU. Now he's the third-best corner, per PFF, in the game.
At Nos. 8 and 12 are two more familiar faces who played in K.C. in recent years: Kendall Fuller and L'Jarius Sneed. The former was part of the primary return in the Alex Smith trade back in 2018 and became the team's best corner as they developed future stars (like Ward and Sneed). The latter was just traded to the Titans this spring after receiving the franchise tag from the Chiefs.
This summer, the likes of Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Chamarri Conner, and more are hoping to be the next pass defenders who make the leap forward in Steve Spagnuolo's defense. Given the Chiefs' penchant for drafting and developing impact talent to this point, it's a decent bet.