The Kansas City Chiefs traded standout wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in March 2022 for five draft picks. Then, a month later, general manager Brett Veach was able to three of those picks into a trade with the New England Patriots and move up to select First Team All-Pac-12 cornerback and Washington star Trent McDuffie with the No. 21 overall pick.
McDuffie was considered the third-best corner in the 2022 NFL draft by many pundits behind Sauce Garner and Derek Stingley Jr., who were both selected in the top five. In his third season in the league, McDuffie’s accomplishments have overshadowed the two cornerbacks picked ahead of him.
As a rookie in 2022, McDuffie was part of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning roster. Kansas City went on to win back-to-back Super Bowls in 2023, giving him a championship in each of his first two years in the league. McDuffie was also selected to the NFL’s All-Pro First Team in 2023 and had one of the best games of his career in the Super Bowl against another All-Pro, wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
The Bellflower, California native hasn’t missed a beat in his third season and has continued his All-Pro caliber play. Not only has he hauled in his first two career interceptions, but he also has been the NFL’s premier lockdown cornerback according to Pro Football Focus.
The analytics website has tracked McDuffie as the No. 1 cornerback when it comes to preventing separation, doing so on 66.7 percent of 198 opportunities in coverage. An impressive feat no matter what, McDuffie has done it against the best competition, as the Chiefs have asked him to shadow some of the NFL’s top receivers, including Ja’marr Chase, Drake London, and Nico Collins.
McDuffie has emerged as one of the league’s top all-around and has proven to be well worth the price Kansas City paid to acquire him.
The best CBs at preventing separation this season đź”’ pic.twitter.com/jKptf6aEKf
— PFF (@PFF) December 26, 2024