For most NFL players, primes are shorter than they seem. A select group of athletes is able to burst onto the scene early and have a lasting presence, though. For the Kansas City Chiefs, cornerback Trent McDuffie has already done a ton and presumably has years of elite play in front of him.
Despite not even turning 25 until the 2025-26 regular season is off and running, McDuffie is well-respected around the league. For yet another summer, he’s on the rise in positional rankings.
In a July 17 story for ESPN, Jeremy Fowler released the results of his cornerback survey. League executives, coaches and scouts alike voted McDuffie as the fourth-best corner in the sport.
League Loves Trent McDuffie, Can Only Find One Potential Weakness
It’s a two-spot jump for McDuffie, who was sixth a year ago. His highest ranking this year was third, with his lowest voter dubbing him the 10th-best cornerback. This comes less than a week after the former first-round pick was named to the “Top 100 Players of 2025” list, which is voted on by the players themselves.
One opposing coordinator praised McDuffie as the complete package.
“Elite instincts to key/diagnose,” the coordinator said. “Understands all the leverages you need to play within the playcall. He has movement and strength to defend smaller players and enough speed and leaping ability to defend bigger players. Strong tackler. Complete player.”
Following the departure of L’Jarius Sneed via trade, McDuffie became the unquestioned top dog in the Chiefs’ secondary. In 16 regular-season games last season, McDuffie notched 59 tackles and his first two interceptions. He also surrendered a career-low 82.9 passer rating in coverage despite being targeted 90 times. The former Washington standout was Pro Football Focus’ No. 3-ranked cornerback in overall grade for the year.
A “veteran” assistant coach tipped his cap to McDuffie for being a great chess piece while also pointing out one potential downside to his profile.
“His versatility has been so valuable to [the Chiefs],” the assistant coach said. “There are instances where he can struggle to finish on contested catches vs. bigger receivers, but overall, he is very solid, has great instincts and technique and is very smart.”
An out-of-conference executive echoed that sentiment, yet it doesn’t seem to be stopping anyone from respecting McDuffie’s overall profile.
“He does give something up to bigger receivers, but he literally does everything else so well, so I don’t knock him for that,” the executive said.
Analyzing Chiefs’ Cornerback Depth Behind McDuffie
Coming into training camp, McDuffie is once again the star of the cornerback room. There is one new face set to play alongside him, however. Former division rival Kristian Fulton came over from the Los Angeles Chargers on a two-year, $20 million contract. Fulton’s profile projects well on the boundary, leading many to wonder whether McDuffie could potentially see more reps back in the slot.
One additional player will factor into that equation. 2022 seventh-round pick Jaylen Watson played tremendous football a season ago before going down with an injury. He did manage to return for the playoffs, which bodes well for his 2025-26 outlook. Watson, another outside corner by trade, is worthy of starter-level snaps.
Elsewhere, Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson were in the same draft class as McDuffie and Watson. Both are depth pieces on defense and can play special teams, although neither is a consistent enough force to see the field as often as they have.
Veteran Chris Roland-Wallace and rookie Nohl Williams, a 2025 third-round pick, will battle for roster and depth chart positioning.
