The Kansas City Chiefs have already overhauled their secondary this offseason, parting ways with their top cornerback and trading up in the first round of the draft to land a new one.
The team could have more changes ahead. One NFL analyst believes the team could still part ways with veteran cornerback Kristian Fulton, who has struggled in recent years and could lose his spot on the depth chart.
Chiefs Could Continue Secondary Overhaul
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton identified one player from every NFL team who could hit the trade block, suggesting the Chiefs continue their “youth movement” by swapping out Fulton for a younger cornerback.
“The Kansas City Chiefs should continue to fully embrace a youth movement at cornerback,” Moton wrote. “They traded All-Pro Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams and allowed Jaylen Watson to walk in free agency. Kansas City traded up for cornerback Mansoor Delane and double-dipped at the position in the fourth round, taking Jadon Canady.”
Moton noted that Fulton was hampered by injuries in 2025 and struggled in the two prior seasons, giving up a passer rating above 100 in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Even if the Chiefs hold onto Fulton, he could find himself in a fight for his spot on the depth chart this summer, Moton added.
“Nohl Williams, a 2025 third-rounder, will likely push Fulton for a starting spot on the boundary,” Moton wrote. “If they’re even in competition by the end of the summer, the Chiefs should start the former, who’s only 23.”
Trading Fulton would also help the Chiefs recoup some of the draft capital they lost by trading up for Delane, though they still came out ahead given what they received for McDuffie.
Chiefs Have Big Plans for Mansoor Delane
Even if he remains with the team, Fulton could find himself lost in the mix as Delane takes on a bigger role. The Athletic’s Jesse Newell noted that the Chiefs were motivated to get ahead of the New Orleans Saints, who they believed would take Delane, but were also buoyed by the success of another recent trade.
“There was one other factor that can’t be ignored,” Newell wrote. “The last time the Chiefs traded up for a first-round cornerback, they hit a grand slam while moving up in 2022 for Trent McDuffie. The compensation then was a third- and a fourth-round pick. This time, it was a third- and a fifth- to go up for Delane.”
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid compared the two situations, which would seem to set the stage for Delane to move into the role previously occupied by McDuffie.
“We felt like we needed to go up and snag (Delane),” Reid said. “Very similar to what we did with McDuffie when you really look at it.”
The Chiefs could also choose to lean into the experience of Fulton, especially as they are trying to bounce back from a losing season in 2025 and may be more averse to taking a chance on an unproven player. That could give Fulton and advantage, at least early in the season.
Chiefs Urged to Embrace ‘Youth Movement’ by Trading Struggling CB