Cornerback might seem low on the list of needs for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2023 NFL draft.
The Chiefs invested heavily in the position in the 2022 NFL draft, with Trent McDuffie (Round 1), Joshua Williams (Round 4) and Jaylen Watson (Round 7). Given the depth of this draft class, it’s possible that Kansas City could continue investing in the position. We’re only a year away from a decision on CB L’Jarius Sneed, and no matter the decision there, you can never have enough corners in today’s pass-happy NFL.
Here’s a look at some of the prospects the Chiefs could consider adding in each round of the 2023 NFL draft:
Round 1: South Carolina CB Cam Smith
Smith is one of the only cornerback prospects to be linked to the Chiefs in the pre-draft process. He has good size and length at 6-foot-1 and 183 pounds with a 76.5-inch wingspan. Why would Smith make sense for Kansas City? He virtually has no limitations, athletically and schematically. This is a player that you can put on the field with L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie who can also play outside and in the slot. He can press, play off-man and play zone coverages. He opens up parts of Steve Spagnuolo’s playbook that simply aren’t available when one of Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams has been on the field.
Round 2: Miami CB Tyrique Stevenson
A physical and savvy run defender with inside-outside versatility, Stevenson has been one of the biggest risers at the cornerback position in the 2023 NFL draft class. At 6 feet and 198 pounds, he’s one of the most technically sound corners in this draft class and has the ability to recover on the occasions when he gets beat. At Miami, he never posted a season with fewer than five passes defended. He was easily the most impressive cornerback at the Senior Bowl this year, impressing in 1-on-1 drills, practice and during the game. He also plays punt coverage on special teams.
Round 3: Purdue CB Cory Trice Jr.
A lot of teams are looking for the next Tariq Woolen in this draft class and my money is on Trice being that guy. He originally played safety but converted to play the cornerback spot in 2019. He’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds and tested like an elite athlete during the pre-draft process. He ran a 4.4s 40-yard dash, jumped a 35.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot broad jump. As a senior in 2022, he earned an honorable mention for All-Big Ten honors after leading his team with twelve passes defended and two interceptions.
Round 4: Minnesota CB Terell Smith
In a year that wasn’t so stacked at the cornerback position, Smith would probably be regarded much higher. The 6-foot and 204-pound cornerback had a breakout campaign with the Gophers as a freshman in 2018, with eight passes defended (team lead) and an interception. He went dormant for a few seasons before emerging again as a starter again in his final two seasons. He had seven passes defended, two interceptions and two sacks in 2022. He’s a physical press corner prospect, who competes in coverage and isn’t afraid to come up and put a lick on a running back in run support.
Round 5: Louisville CB Kei'Trel Clark
Clark is a bit undersized at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, but he plays a lot bigger than he measures. He’s physical in man coverage and competes at the catch point with a ton of ball production over his career with 34 passes defended and five interceptions. He has the versatility and ability to rotate and play inside and outside cornerback, but he thrives at nickel. He’s really scrappy as a run defender and quick to trigger against screen passes.
Round 6: UAB CB Starling Thomas V
One of the fastest cornerback prospects in this class, Thomas ran a blazing 4.28s 40-yard dash at his pro day with UAB. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 194 pounds, he’s not the ideal size that NFL teams are looking for. He makes up for it in savvy play, speed and ball skills. He’s coming off an impressive and productive two-year stretch where he recorded 25 passes defended and two interceptions. Thomas also returned kicks and punts during his college career, which is a big bonus for a late-round prospect.
Round 7: Ball State CB Nic Jones
A standout at the East-West Shrine Bowl, Jones is one of the better “small school” prospects in the 2023 NFL draft class. Listed at 6-foot and 185 pounds, Jones contested a lot of passes at Ball State with 15 passes defended and three interceptions during his career. He gets his hips turned quickly and does a great job of staying in phase. He also has some versatility to his game, with snaps both inside and outside on defense, plus work on the punt and kick block teams on special teams. He missed the second half of the 2021 college season with an injury, but he had a solid bounce-back year as a senior.
