Chiefs HC Andy Reid shows extreme confidence in cornerback depth following Jaylen Watson's injury
The Kansas City Chiefs depth at cornerback took a hit in Week 7's win over the San Francisco 49ers as starter Jaylen Watson suffered a fractured ankle. Watson will have surgery this week and has an outside chance to return for the playoffs, but for the next 11 weeks, they'll need others to step up. Thankfully, […]
The Kansas City Chiefs depth at cornerback took a hit in Week 7's win over the San Francisco 49ers as starter Jaylen Watson suffered a fractured ankle. Watson will have surgery this week and has an outside chance to return for the playoffs, but for the next 11 weeks, they'll need others to step up.
Thankfully, the offseason cornerback competition in the wake of the L'Jarius Sneed trade has prepared this room for adversity. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Chiefs HC Andy Reid pointed to the two players the team will rely on to replace Watson.
“Every week he’s (Nazeeh Johnson) gotten better and stronger and so that’s the main thing," Reid said. "He’s a good player. Just that he has the confidence in his leg and the leg’s strong and that just happens by playing. Every week it’s been a positive going forward and he’s ready for the spot. 2 (Joshua Williams) has also been in there, he’s done it, so he knows what it takes. Two different body types and we’ll need both of them and they both need to step up. (Jaylen) Watson was having a heck of a year. Now these guys have an opportunity here to step in and do the same.”
Both players are part of the Chiefs' "Fab Five" 2022 draft class, which includes Watson, Trent McDuffie, and Bryan Cook.
Johnson, of course, was trending to be a "starter" at cornerback last year as an outside corner in the team's nickel packages before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He's been targeted nine times this season, allowing just three receptions for 43 yards and one score. He could be trending for his first career start in Week 8 vs. the Las Vegas Raiders.
Williams has appeared in 39 career games for the Chiefs, including six regular-season starts. He's filled in for players like Sneed in the past, so he should have no problem slotting in as an outside cornerback for Kansas City. He's been used sparingly on defense this season, but his size and length make him a matchup problem for opposing receivers.
Who else could the Chiefs see play more after Watson's injury?
As far as the 53-man roster is concerned, rookie DB Christian Roland-Wallace should be on the radar for more snaps. He played 14 snaps at slot cornerback during Week 7's win over the 49ers and recorded his first career interception. While he played safety and slot corner during the preseason and training camp, he also played 560 snaps at outside cornerback during his senior year at USC.
"Yeah, so, he's a real smart kid," Chiefs HC Andy Reid said of Roland-Wallace after the game on Sunday. "We saw that in training camp. Picks things up easy. He's got a great feel for the game. Had that in college. It was able to transfer during camp. Again, my hat goes off to (Brett) Veach for getting these guys. So, I mean, we're playing a lot of different folks, and the guys are stepping up. (Christian) Roland-Wallace, he's a good football player."
When it comes to the practice squad, the Chiefs' decision could have a bit more to do with special teams ability than playing at cornerback. Joshua Williams is a starter on the team's punt return, punt coverage, kick return, and kick coverage units. His playing a larger role on defense will likely require reinforcements for Dave Toub's unit. The team currently has four cornerbacks on the practice squad who could be signed to the 53-man roster or elevated from the practice squad in a given week. Those players are Keith Taylor, Eric Scott Jr., Nic Jones, and Darius Rush.
