{"id":862337,"date":"2026-04-09T13:54:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T13:54:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/862337\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T13:54:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T13:54:34","slug":"chiefs-could-eye-positionless-cornerback-to-replace-mcduffie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/862337\/","title":{"rendered":"Chiefs Could Eye \u2018Positionless\u2019 Cornerback to Replace McDuffie"},"content":{"rendered":"

KANSAS CITY, Mo. \u2013 Slap a blindfold on Steve Spagnuolo, then read him this description of a potential Kansas City Chiefs cornerback.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone who just plays with his hair on fire,\u201d said draft expert Daniel Jeremiah on Friday\u2019s edition<\/a> of Move the Sticks. \u201cHe ran great, ran 4.33 at his pro day. Someone who is an outstanding blitzer. He plays with energy and an edge that I love. He can play some nickel, you can move him around, do a lot of different things but I like him best as a nickel, where he’s just going to be a dynamic blitzer. <\/p>\n

\"scot\"<\/p>\n

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Miami defensive back Keionte Scott (DB29) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can be a force player against the run. The big pick-six against Ohio State when he jumps the route, just an easy, fluid mover who’s tough.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chiefs\u2019 defensive coordinator prefers a certain cloth of cornerback, and Keionte Scott is cut from that fabric. A 5-11, 193-pound defender, Scott is exactly the same stature as Trent McDuffie, Spagnuolo\u2019s All-Pro cornerback now with the Rams. And based on Jeremiah\u2019s scouting report, Scott sounds like a prospect who can step into the cleats McDuffie left in Kansas City.<\/p>\n

\"mcduffi\"<\/p>\n

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) and Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (88) battle for position as they look for the ball in the first quarter in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Round 2 projection<\/p>\n

Unlike McDuffie, Brett Veach\u2019s initial selection in Round 1 of the 2022 draft (21st overall), Scott is expected to go in Round 2. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s OK, though, because Veach and Spagnuolo have been drooling over their film of Day 2 cornerbacks, including Scott. They\u2019ve had a lot more time to to evaluate<\/a> them, too, after a 6-11 season kept the Chiefs from the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. Indiana\u2019s D\u2019Angelo Ponds and San Diego State\u2019s Chris Johnson are other Round 2 or 3 projections. <\/p>\n

\"pond\"<\/p>\n

Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds (5) and Tyrique Tucker (95) celebrate after the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk\/Herald-Times \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

But Scott is a difference-maker. For anyone who wonders why NFL scouts love speed in cornerbacks, pull up that 72-yard interception-return touchdown<\/a> in the Cotton Bowl against the Buckeyes \u2013 and watch Scott leave Ohio State\u2019s receivers and backs in his FieldTurf pellets. <\/p>\n

The touchdown capped a remarkable three-play sequence that began with Julian Sayin\u2019s 59-yard pass to Jeremiah Smith, putting Ohio State on the Hurricanes\u2019 doorstep. But on the next snap, short-armed Rueben Bain sacked Sayin to set up Scott\u2019s game-turning interception. <\/p>\n

\"bai\"<\/p>\n

Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (4) sacks Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Scott fed off Bain: A preview of future Chiefs defense?<\/p>\n

Instead of driving for a game-tying touchdown early in the second quarter, Scott\u2019s touchdown was a 14-point swing in Miami\u2019s favor. Momentum evaporated from the Ohio State sideline and the Buckeyes never led in a season-ending, 24-14 loss. They can thank Scott and Bain.<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t lose sight of the fact that Bain, again, affected Sayin on the interception<\/a>. That combination of Miami Hurricanes could become household names for Chiefs followers in coming years as they continue to complement each other in Spagnuolo\u2019s system.<\/p>\n

\"carter<\/p>\n

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is sacked by Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) and defensive tackle Milton Williams (93) during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Six Georgia Bulldogs helped the Eagles reach and then thrash Kansas City in Super Bowl 59. Two years later, the Chiefs and their Super Bowl aspirations have eyes on another high-level college program. Bain is clearly a possibility for Kansas City at No. 9. And Scott is clearly a possibility for Veach and Spagnuolo at No. 40, or even at 29 in the first round.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"KANSAS CITY, Mo. \u2013 Slap a blindfold on Steve Spagnuolo, then read him this description of a potential…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":862338,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2063],"tags":[346,7,118,110,2438,2437,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-862337","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-kansas-city-chiefs","8":"tag-chiefs","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-kansas-city","11":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs","12":"tag-kansascity","13":"tag-kansascitychiefs","14":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116375092738659751","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=862337"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862337\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/862338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=862337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=862337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=862337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}