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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When the Kansas City Chiefs begin training camp later this month, the fiercest battle for playing time will be at cornerback.
Each of the six main characters vying for a starting spot brings a different profile to the table.
There's the top draft pick (Mansoor Delane), the second-year player with plenty of potential (Nohl Williams), the former champion returning to the team after two seasons away (L’Jarius Sneed), the veteran hoping to regain top form (Kristian Fulton), the player who has been on the roster the longest (Chris Roland-Wallace) and the rookie the Chiefs hope becomes a draft steal (Jadon Canady).
The three winners, of course, will earn starting spots on defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's unit on opening night against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 14.
Days before free agency, the Chiefs traded Trent McDuffie, a two-time All-Pro, to the Los Angeles Rams for a package of four draft picks, including the No. 29 overall selection in this year’s draft. When free agency began, Jaylen Watson, the starter opposite of McDuffie, also joined the Rams, setting the stage for this summer’s competition on the outside.
"It gives me an opportunity to step up and try to fill their shoes," Williams said. "Really, the whole room has got to step up because those are two good guys. You know, I would be lying if [I said the coaching staff] don't expect a lot from me, but I'm ready for it. I'm going to keep preparing."
The Chiefs' biggest response to the McDuffie and Watson departures was to add Delane, for whom the team traded up three spots to select sixth overall. They also drafted Canady in the fourth round. To fill out the room, Kansas City signed Sneed, a six-year veteran who'd spent four years in Kansas City before joining the Tennessee Titans in 2024, to a one-year deal in June.
In 11 games at LSU last season, Delane recorded two interceptions and 13 pass breakups. He didn't surrender a touchdown in coverage and also didn't commit a penalty en route to becoming a unanimous All-American.
"He jumped out on tape," Spagnuolo said in May of Delane. "We all felt like he was the top corner in this class. I was really intrigued by his story. I think he could've come out after his last year there at Virginia Tech — or thought about it. But the information that we gathered was that he wanted to be challenged a little bit more, so you go to LSU.
"That speaks volumes about a guy — and to have a really good year at LSU — so hopeful that he can be a good player for us."
The Chiefs' evaluation of Delane was similar to their predraft report on McDuffie in 2022. Both are sticky in coverage, have smooth footwork and possess above-average intelligence.
"I take pride in my cerebral part of the game," Delane said in May. "I try to understand my alignment and my splits to help give me an advantage before the play even happens. You just try to eliminate routes. If it's a cut split or a wider split, there's only so many routes you can do. Eliminating the route tree makes the game easier."
Once camp begins, Spagnuolo's evaluation of the group will be helped by the Chiefs having all three top receivers — Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton — lining up against them.
Spagnuolo will likely spend the first week of camp figuring out the depth chart at the position since it will be the first time he's had the entire group together. Delane missed the team's mandatory minicamp last month with a shoulder injury. Sneed only participated in the final practice of the minicamp, and was held out of the 11-on-11 team period.
In their absence, the cornerback who got the most reps during the Chiefs' offseason program was Williams, who was handed starts in the final four games of last season after the team was eliminated from playoff contention.
"For sure, [I'm] way more comfortable than last year," Williams said. "The terminology is easier. It's more ingrained into my brain now, the scheme. The second year in the defense, you should catch on or you're not studying."
The Chiefs expect Delane to be a full participant when camp starts. If he assumes one corner slot, Williams could be competing against Fulton, a six-year veteran, for the second starting role on the outside.
Fulton played in eight games last season as he dealt with a knee injury. When he got his chance, Williams showed strong physicality in press-man coverage and finished his rookie season with 37 tackles, one sack and seven pass breakups, which tied a team high with McDuffie.
At the nickel position, Roland-Wallace, a third-year player, should have an advantage over Canady when camp starts because of his familiarity in Spagnuolo's scheme. Roland-Wallace was becoming a reliable contributor last season — recording an interception and three pass breakups despite playing just 30% of the defensive snaps in 11 games — but he sustained a back injury in late November that ended his season.
Canady received plenty of reps at the nickel spot during the offseason program.
At Oregon last season, Canady limited opposing quarterbacks to 2.4 yards per attempt as the primary defender, which led the FBS. He also recorded two interceptions, eight pass breakups and surrendered one touchdown in coverage.
The wild card among the six players at the position is Sneed, who began his NFL career with the Chiefs in 2020. As a fourth-round pick, Sneed was an overachiever immediately and throughout his four years in Kansas City. He recorded 10 interceptions with the team, helped them win back-to-back Super Bowls and played a pivotal role in mentoring McDuffie.
Just as they did with McDuffie, Delane is expected to receive plenty of one-on-one instruction from Spagnuolo and Sneed.
Over the past two years with the Titans, Sneed played in just 12 games because of injuries to his knee and quad. If Sneed performs well in camp and can stay healthy, Spagnuolo could use him as a chess piece in the secondary — a player who could split snaps on the perimeter, the nickel spot or even as a third safety. Earlier this week, Sneed posted a video on Instagram of one of his training sessions, displaying his footwork, quickness and agility to demonstrate that he's healthy.
"These are million-dollar feet right here — literally," Sneed said. He later said this into the camera: "This s— is going to pay off, too, y'all."
This season, Williams wants to improve his footwork at the line of scrimmage and recognition of formations before the snap. If he can do so, he believes his snap share will increase from 44% last season. He said he is eager to pick Sneed's brain for help.
"I've watched him throughout my college career," Williams said of Sneed. "He's a good cornerback addition to our defense. I'm looking forward to learning from him. He knows what it looks like. He knows how to be a championship DB on a championship team."
