The most significant change for the Chiefs this offseason was the departure of L'Jarius Sneed. He became one of the NFL's best defensive players en route to the team's second straight Super Bowl, routinely shadowing opposing receivers while letting First-Team All-Pro Trent McDuffie roam the field.
A major question facing the team is how the defense will replace Sneed. No one can directly replicate his skillset, though Kansas City has several exciting young players expected to step up.
In a recent article in The Athletic by Nate Taylor, McDuffie revealed his intentions to take over Sneed's No. 1 shadow role.
Trent McDuffie Reveals Desire to Take Over L'Jarius Sneed Role
Referring to replacing Sneed, McDuffie said, “I don’t know if it’s a need, but it’s definitely something that, as a competitor, it’s 100 percent what I want to do, getting to line up against the best receivers each week."
With McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, Chamarri Conner, and Nazeeh Johnson, the Chiefs still have a strong, young secondary. Despite losing Sneed, Kansas City should once again possess one of the league's most dominant defenses.
McDuffie had a stellar five forced fumbles in 2023-24, though it sounds like he'll be utilized more in a true shadow role moving forward. Steve Spagnuolo likes to disguise his coverages, so there will be times that Watson or Williams shadow as well, with McDuffie sometimes blitzing off the edge like he did in the Super Bowl.
Either way, McDuffie is perhaps the most important player on the defense. If he continues his emergence as one of the NFL's best cornerbacks, the Chiefs' path to another Super Bowl becomes much easier.
Kansas City has the second-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +600 at FanDuel Sportsbook, trailing only the San Francisco 49ers. However, those odds will prove to be a steal if McDuffie has the kind of year that Sneed did with Watson or Williams breaking out alongside him.
