What Spagnuolo has seen from 4 Kansas City Chiefs rookies — including this recent riser

In the last few days at Kansas City Chiefs training camp, seventh-round pick Jaylen Watson has replaced fourth-round selection Joshua Williams as one of the team’s starters at cornerback.

That’s all part of a plan, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo says, to keep players driven.

“A little bit of challenging each guy. Nobody is handed over a spot, right?” Spagnuolo said Thursday. “So when you get a little bit comfortable, that’s not a good thing in this business. So we do that just to make sure that they’re all aware that nothing’s won right now.”

The fact that two lower-round picks have rotated first-team snaps is part of a greater theme in the Chiefs’ secondary.

So far, four guys in particular have stood out, with each of them making a case to be early contributors in 2022.

The most recent riser is Watson, a 6-foot-2 defensive back selected with the 243rd pick out of Washington State. Spagnuolo complimented him for “two really good practices” in a row, which included the team going through drills at the indoor facility Wednesday.

“The first couple of snaps there, I thought he did a really nice job coverage. He’s come along,” Spagnuolo said. “He was kind of a slow mover early. I think he’s kind of figuring out that that doesn’t really work at this level. So you’ve got to practice everything fast.”

Williams, meanwhile, was one of the biggest stories of training camp’s first week. The 6-foot-3 cornerback, who took an unlikely path to pro football from Division II Fayetteville State, has been lauded for his quick learning and ability to play press coverage at the line of scrimmage.

“He’s really bought into the technique we use. It’s not comfortable for everybody, but he has bought into it,” Spagnuolo said. “He’s trying to do things exactly the way we’ve asked him. If he keeps doing that, I think he’ll get better and better.”

The Chiefs’ top two rookies in the secondary also are performing to expectations thus far.

That includes first-round pick Trent McDuffie, who has taken all first-team reps in camp after the Chiefs traded up to select him 21st in April’s draft. Spagnuolo described McDuffie’s effort up to this point as “outstanding.”

“Now we’ll probably move him around a little bit too, but we need to get him settled in a spot eventually,” Spagnuolo said. “I think he’s competed really well with a bunch of really good veteran wideouts we have. The thing I like about Trent is was when it hasn’t gone great for him, he’s not one of those guys that sticks his head in the sand. He bounces right back up. That’s a good quality.”

Spagnuolo also likes what he has in second-rounder Bryan Cook, calling the 6-foot-1 safety out of Cincinnati “a good football player.”

“He picks up things quickly, wants to know everything. He’s a sponge. He’s a lot like George (Karlaftis, rookie defensive end). He wants to know the whole thing,” Spagnuolo said. “It looks pretty natural to him right now. Now, we’ll see what we get in the real game, but that part I like.”

The Chiefs aren’t whole in their secondary yet. Watson and Williams have been rotating at the starting spot that will most likely be occupied by fourth-year pro Rashad Fenton, who is recovering from shoulder surgery; barring a setback, he could be projected to rejoin practices in the next few weeks.

Coach Andy Reid said Wednesday he couldn’t give an exact timetable for Fenton’s return but reported that the cornerback was progressing. Spagnuolo envisioned Fenton stepping right back in to compete for his spot when fully recuperated.

“I mean, he’s played some good football for us, especially on the outside. We just want to get him healthy and get him back there,” Spagnuolo said. “I’m anxious to get back out there. I’m looking forward to it.”

With Fenton sidelined, Spagnuolo will continue to get looks at Watson and Williams, who seem on track toward helping the Chiefs as first-year players.

The goal, though, will be to keep them motivated while competing for a spot.

“Nothing is carved in stone right now,” Spagnuolo said, “in terms of who’s playing where.”

This story was originally published August 4, 2022 at 1:22 PM.

Jesse Newell

The Kansas City Star

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Jesse Newell covered the Chiefs for The Star until August 2025. He won an EPPY for best sports blog and previously was named top beat writer in his circulation by AP’s Sports Editors. His interest in sports analytics comes from his math teacher father, who handed out rulers to Trick-or-Treaters each year.