Kansas City Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie won't allow the defense to regress on his watch

Cornerback Trent McDuffie has become a cornerstone piece of the Kansas City Chiefs' defense.

With L'Jarius Sneed leaving in free agency during the offseason, McDuffie is undoubtedly the top defensive back on the roster. In fact, he's one of the tops in the entire NFL after being named a First-Team All-Pro last year.

The Chiefs finished 2023 with the No. 2 overall ranked defense. It ranked fourth in the league against the pass, third in points allowed and second in sacks. For the first time since Patrick Mahomes took over at quarterback, Kansas City's defense carried the offense most weeks.

The Chiefs are looking to carry that momentum over to 2024, and McDuffie is determined to make it happen. McDuffie stated after practice on Monday that the defense is out to prove that last year was not a fluke and that everyone has bought into the standard that has been set.

As most football fans know, what you did last year doesn't mean much for this year. Each season teams go from first to worst and vice versa. One of the special things about all the Chiefs' success under coach Andy Reid is how they have continued to evolve and stay motivated.

Replacing Sneed won't be an easy task, but the Chiefs do have a lot of talented, young cornerbacks on the roster . K.C. has great track record of developing cornerbacks at a fast rate. In 2022 McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams all played key roles as rookies en route to a Super Bowl title.

Third-year linebacker Leo Chenal is replacing Willie Gay, who left in free agency, as a starter. Chenal has played plenty of meaningful snaps throughout his first two seasons and shouldn't have a problem sliding into a starting role. Beyond Gay and Sneed, the Chiefs are returning every starter on defense from last year.

K.C.'s defense has an envious blend of experience and youth. With so many starters returning, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can add a lot of layers to his playbook and be more aggressive. Experience allows players to react and attack faster since they don't have to take as much time to think about their assignments.

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