Could the Kansas City Chiefs draft another first-round cornerback in 2023? It appears that’s an option that could be on the table.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, South Carolina CB Cam Smith is set to head to Kansas City for a top-30 visit with the Chiefs on Wednesday. A starter with the Gamecocks since 2020, Smith racked up six interceptions and 18 passes defended during that span. He’s a long, physical, outside cornerback who is regarded as one of the top players in a strong cornerback draft class.
Smith was a standout at the cornerback position during the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Here’s what we had to say about him:
“This draft class is absolutely stacked at the cornerback position and the Chiefs shouldn’t shy away from taking one just because of their success finding gems last season. Smith weighed in at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, posting solid scores in the 40-yard dash (4.43s), vertical jump (38 inches) and broad jump (135 inches). What I came away most impressed with is how easily he can turn and burn. He gets his hips flipped as well as any cornerback I’ve seen in this class and doesn’t lose much speed at all with his footwork.”
Potential first round CB Cam Smith of South Carolina kicks off a busy next few weeks starting with a trip to the defending Super Bowl champion #Chiefs today, source says.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 29, 2023
If you’re not familiar with top-30 visits, here’s a quick rundown. Teams are allotted 30 pre-draft visits where they can host draft prospects at team facilities. Visits don’t always denote interest or that a player will be drafted by a team, but last season alone the Chiefs selected two players who they had in for top-30 visits (Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson).
During these visits, prospects get to meet with coaching staff members, front office executives and tour the team facilities. They can go through their game tape and plays with the coaching staff, but they’re unable to work out for teams at team facilities on these visits. In some cases, they’ll meet with the medical and training staff to evaluate college injuries or issues flagged at the combine.
With all the investment the team made at the cornerback position last offseason, it’s hard to imagine the Chiefs targeting a corner in the first round. As mentioned earlier, it’s one of the most stacked position groups in the 2023 NFL draft. If the goal of the team is to select the best player available, there is certainly a situation where Smith is that guy at pick No. 31.
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