Chiefs' Trent McDuffie Respected in Recent Ranking

The Kansas City Chiefs have some of the best young stars that the National Football League has to offer going into the 2025 campaign. While the hopes for the franchise are for its newly drafted players to enter that conversation, the Chiefs have one of the best young cornerbacks in the league.

Trent McDuffie has been electric for the Chiefs franchise since donning a uniform for the first time in 2022. The former first-round draft selection has raised the bar of what it means to be a successful cornerback in the league, and has only seen his stock rise because of it.

Last season, according to PFF, McDuffie was ranked the third-best cornerback in the league, earning an overall grade of 83.1. His pass-rush grade stood out the most, earning a 90.5 overall grade for his efforts. His efforts have resulted in the Chiefs winning two Super Bowl championships in three years.

His impact has been felt both within the organization and around the league, so much so that McDuffie found himself on CBS Sports' Top 25 Players Under 25 ranking, created by Cody Benjamin. McDuffie holds spot 17, a two-place improvement from the rankings last season.

"It can be hard to draw headlines in Kansas City if your name's not Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, or Chris Jones, but McDuffie's lived up to his first-round billing as defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's top cover man. He seems to be most comfortable operating out of the slot, but his grit and tight coverage help set the tone on the back end regardless."

The Chiefs have seen the value that McDuffie provides to the franchise, resulting in general manager Brett Veach exercising a fifth-year option on the up-and-coming cornerback for the 2026 season. In 2025, McDuffie is set to make $2,613,066 while carrying a cap hit of $4,452,154 and a dead cap value of $18,084,154.

The fifth-year option will pay McDuffie $13.362 million. With the hopes that McDuffie can provide another top season in the NFL, the Chiefs should be in a good spot going into the new year. With the 2024 season's taste still lingering in the mouths of the Chiefs stars, 2025 is bound to be better.