Chiefs found the answer to their biggest remaining roster question in Week 1 against the Ravens

The biggest question entering the 2024 NFL season for the Kansas City Chiefs came in the defensive secondary.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo admitted that he had a frustrating time evaluating the cornerback position this offseason just because the team dealt with so many injuries . After trading L'Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, former first-round draft pick Trent McDuffie slid into the No. 1 cornerback role in Kansas City. But they've had nothing but question marks behind McDuffie. They didn't know if anyone would emerge as a clear starter opposite McDuffie by Week 1 and honestly thought about a committee situation behind him.

Nazeeh Johnson was trending toward a starting job in 2023 before he got injured in training camp. Could he reclaim a spot? Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams have both started in some big moments for Kansas City, but they've each struggled with consistency.

Well, in a single game, the Chiefs seem to have found their answer and it's one that was reflected in the first "unofficial" depth chart.

Jaylen Watson emerges as the Chiefs' undisputed CB2 in Week 1

It shouldn't be a shocker to anyone that the guy who played over 17 weeks of football with a torn labrum last season came back healthy in 2024 and earned the starting job. That type of toughness is rare and it shows football character.

Jaylen Watson played 77 out of 80 possible defensive snaps on Thursday night, with Trent McDuffie being the only cornerback to play more snaps.

"It's a great feeling," Watson said in the locker room after the game . "I went through so much adversity this offseason, just trying to get healthy and get back on the field. Watching the guys for the first half of training camp I was just itching to get back out there. Now I'm back and it just feels good to make plays and help the team."

Watson had 11 combined tackles against the Ravens, the most of any defender for Kansas City. Four of those were credited as defensive stops (a tackle that is considered a success/win for the defense). He also didn't have a single missed tackle during the game. In coverage, Watson was targeted six times. He allowed four receptions for 35 yards with one pass breakup and one forced incompletion according to Pro Football Focus .

"Man, he did great," Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie said of Watson's performance. "He's one of those dudes where the more plays he makes the more confident he gets. That deep ball to Zay (Flowers) when he knocked it down, you could just see it. You could see him just working. I'm really proud of training camp and everything he's been doing and I think he's going to have a great year this year."

Joshua Williams wasn't too shabby either

Williams played about half as many snaps as Watson on Thursday night, but he also impressed with his showing. He allowed a single reception for 17 yards on just two targets according to Pro Football Focus. He also had a single forced incomplete pass. He was the only player to allow 50 percent or fewer passes completed into his coverage. The average depth of target on passes thrown into his coverage was higher than any other cornerback for Kansas City at 20.5. He allowed just a 79.2 passer rating into his coverage which was also the lowest among Chiefs corners against the Ravens.

Don't forget about Nazeeh Johnson

Johnson didn't log any defensive snaps on Thursday night, but the Chiefs will undoubtedly rely on him at some point this season. In the meantime, he's making the most of playing on special teams. He made a key tackle on the punt return unit in the fourth quarter that made it so the Ravens would have to drive 87 yards to score a touchdown to equalize the game. Had he not made that tackle, who knows if the Chiefs' defense holds Baltimore. Those are the types of plays you want to see backups making as they bide their time for opportunities on defense.

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