As their first selection of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to get cornerback Trent McDuffie from the University of Washington. McDuffie is the first corner the Chiefs have drafted in the first round since the club drafted Marcus Peters back in 2015.
The Chiefs acquired McDuffie by trading picks with the New England Patriots. Kansas City got the 21st overall pick in exchange for the 29th, 94th, and 101st overall selections.
McDuffie played three seasons for the Huskies from 2019 to 2021, amassing 94 career tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
At 5-foot-11, 195-pounds, McDuffie has had a nose for making game-changing plays. As a sophomore, he earned second-team all-conference honors and accumulated first-team accolades in 2021.
Strengths:
McDuffie is a football-savvy defensive back with the awareness, speed, agility, and open-field tackling scouts look for in a player at his position. He excels in zone coverage thanks to his ability to quickly process route combinations, and he’s able to stay with receivers downfield without losing speed.
Weaknesses:
McDuffie’s size is underwhelming, and he doesn’t have the physical traits scouts would prefer from a corner going in the first round. It’s possible he’s got better quickness rather than just being fast. He is very fluid in his movement but lacks actual explosion at the line and doesn’t have the burst needed to recover if he’s getting beat downfield.
Conclusion:
Kansas City desperately needed to address the cornerback position in this draft, and they did so early in the first round by getting the guy they liked the most. It’s too early to say if McDuffie will be on the field as an everyday starter for his rookie campaign, but he’s got the physical traits to be a contributor in some form. Another side note, he’s allowed NO touchdowns during his three years at Washington.
