The Kansas City Chiefs have only drafted one cornerback in the first round under Brett Veach: Trent McDuffie, back in 2022. Kansas City has proven that it generally waits to address its defensive back spots in the draft.
With that history in mind, it feels like a solid chance the Chiefs could go down that path again. If so, here are five defensive back prospects worth keeping in mind that could fit under the hidden-gem model.
Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin
Charles Demmings of Stephen F. Austin first gained more attention at the Senior Bowl. With his mix of size and athleticism, his overall explosive testing numbers from the Scouting Combine make him even more tantalizing.
Demmings also comes with plenty of experience coming out of the FCS level. As Dane Brugler of The Athletic mentioned in his The Beast draft guide, Demmings started for three-and-a-half seasons. His production in his starts was an item that seemingly popped up every game, per Brugler.
With a mix of fiery confidence, length, and speed, Demmings is the type of competitor and athlete that Kansas City usually searches for later on at defensive back. Refining parts of his coverage would be a key box to check if the Chiefs were to add him.
Toledo cornerbacks Avery Smith and Andre Fuller
Not one, but two, Toledo cornerbacks are intriguing bets worth monitoring come Day 3 of the draft. Let's start with Avery Smith. Smith does not possess the overarching size that Demmings does. His length, height, and even his hand size present major outlier questions. Despite that, there is a noticeable anticipatory part to his game. Smith offered a quick downhill trigger and an impressive nose for the football at Toledo. Perhaps those qualities make him someone worth taking a flier on in the late rounds.
Andre Fuller has much more mass to his frame than the other Toledo cornerbacks. While not as explosive as Demmings, Fuller still performed impressively with his on-field testing results at the Scouting Combine. This cornerback exudes strength. He offers a possible fit to what the Chiefs like from their cornerbacks who can press at the line of scrimmage.
Jacob Thomas, SAF, James Madison
When looking at some late-round options at safety, Jacob Thomas of James Madison stood out. There are technical issues to work through. However, this defensive back would be a versatile, athletic option.
When watching Thomas, there is a projection one could make for specific man coverage matchups near the line of scrimmage. Against tight ends or slot receivers, he appears able to match opponents' physicality. To add to this, Thomas tracked and found the football at a solid rate. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and defensive backs coach Dave Merritt would be able to utilize diverse wrinkles with someone like Thomas.
Ahmaad Moses, SAF, SMU
SMU safety Ahmaad Moses is someone the Chiefs have shown public interest in. As Brugler noted in The Beast, this defender did undergo spinal surgery. That puts his draft outlook in a fascinating spot. Brugler also points out his starting experience was limited to under two full seasons.
The traits and build of Moses make for a player who has to fight for everything he gets. His scrappy mentality would be adequate depth to have. That play style can also be effective for special teams roles filled by late-round draft picks. If there is a defensive positive to take away from Moses, his ball production often showed up in the biggest moments for SMU.
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