![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="439" width="780" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie has already proven he’s one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL since being drafted 21st overall by the Chiefs in 2022. That’s why it comes as no surprise that McDuffie made PFF’s top 25 players under 25 entering the 2024 season.
McDuffie, 23, was ranked No. 10 on the list.
“After starting his career as an outside cornerback, McDuffie moved inside toward the second half of his rookie season and played mostly in the slot in his second season when the Chiefs had more than two cornerbacks on the field. This move aligned with McDuffie becoming one of the best young cornerbacks in the league and one of the most versatile players at the position,” PFF’s Zoltán Buday wrote on May 20.
“His 16 total pressures in 2023 led all cornerbacks by a wide margin, and he gave up just nine receiving yards on seven targets in the Super Bowl,” Buday continued.
Trent McDuffie Has Big Shoes to Fill in 2024
McDuffie’s ascension towards stardom comes at the perfect time, as the Chiefs will need him to fill the void left by cornerback L’Jarius Sneed in Kansas City’s secondary.
During the 2023 season, Sneed was tasked with shadowing some of the NFL’s best receivers and succeeded in doing so. He kept Tyreek Hill (8-62 in Week 9, 5-62-1 in the AFC Wild-Card Round), Justin Jefferson (3-28 in Week 5), A.J. Brown (1-8 in Week 10), and Brandon Aiyuk (3-49 in the 2024 Super Bowl) in check during their respective matchups.
It was arguably the best season-long performance by a defensive back during the 2023 season, which is why McDuffie has big shoes to fill since Sneed was traded to the Tennessee Titans this offseason.
Thankfully, McDuffie has the skill set to thrive as the CB1 for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions moving forward.
McDuffie now leads a cornerback in Kansas City that also includes Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, Nazeeh Johnson, Kamal Hadden, Keith Taylor Jr., Nic Jones, Boye-Doe Ekow, Kelvin Joseph, Miles Battle, and D.J. Miller.
Chiefs Hoping to Continue Development Trend With Kamal Hadden
The Chiefs have a knack for developing talent in the secondary, specifically at cornerback. To see examples of that you need to look no further than the team’s current depth chart, which is led by three players who were drafted by Kansas City two years ago (McDuffie, Watson, Williams).
The two-time defending champions hope to continue that development trend with Hadden, who the Chiefs drafted in the sixth round of April’s Draft. Hadden is 6-foot-1, 196 pounds, and played his college ball at Tennessee.
Speaking to the media after the Draft, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach gave a brief evaluation of Hadden and why the team targeted him on Day 3.
“(Kamal) Hadden was a guy that we kind of targeted there day three, tough physical kid, think he has a good press skillset and just like the way he plays and again,” Veach explained during his press conference. “The one thing that we prioritize in the defensive back field is not just the size but physicality and (we) think he’ll certainly bring that.”
