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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Most NFL front offices keep trajectories on players from the beginning through the end of the season. That evaluation includes grades from week-to-week or scouting reports on their improvement. Over the next week, “4th & 1” podcast analyst Nick Jacobs will break down each position on the Chiefs’ roster and where each player from 2021 is in their NFL career.Here is a look at the secondary:CornerbacksL’Jarius Sneed
Coming off another strong season, L’Jarius Sneed is arguably the best defender the Chiefs have on their roster. He is at his best when playing on the inside, where Sneed is great in run support and tackling in the open field. He is also a good blitzer when he is allowed to attack. Sneed does have some hiccups at corner on the outside, which might be fixed with snaps on the outside, but there is still a ton of untapped potential in his game.Rashad Fenton
A former sixth-round pick from South Carolina, Rashad Fenton will struggle with some of the premiere athletes in the league, like Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, because of his inability outleap them for the jump ball.He also can have trouble at times tracking the ball or is fearful of losing his position if he does. Fenton is at his best in zone coverage, which allows him to read the play and drive on the football or work against a receiver over the middle on a dig, slant or crossing route. The vertical routes are when Fenton can find trouble trying to stick with a fast receiver and not turning back to find the ball, which can cause him to lose position.Charvarius Ward
Charvarius Ward is an above average corner that fits the scheme perfectly. He has issues when he misses on a couple of plays and lets it get into his head. You can see his confidence drop on coaches’ film and more errors can compound at times. Ward went up against Chase in two separate games and put himself in good position both times. His biggest issue comes when he must keep pace with the receiver and can’t turn his head around to find the football. He will panic a little bit and give up the play, because he is worried about keeping good leverage.Mike Hughes
Acquired via trade with Minnesota for a seventh-round pick, Mike Hughes has premium athletic ability and could be a great returner in the NFL, but he struggles at corner. Nearly five years into his career, it may not get any better. He gives up position, must play catch up far too often and can be easily faked out with double moves. It was worth a try by the Chiefs, but unfortunately it just isn’t a good fit defensively.Deandre Baker
Drafted in the first round from Georgia by the New York Giants in 2019, Deandre Baker looks like he still might be getting over his broken leg a year later. He has good athletic ability, but his inability to get snaps on field indicate the coaches aren’t seeing what they need from him responsibility-wise in practice to play — or there is a lingering injury.Chris Lammons
Chris Lammons is a good gunner on special teams and a strong special-teams starter, but there just isn’t enough at corner to warrant a developmental spot on the active 53-man roster.Outlook: The cornerback position needs an infusion of youth through the draft. The team will need to find some premium athletes who have good straight-line speed on vertical routes and an ability to outleap their opponents on jump balls. The coaching staff has shown the ability to coach the rest.SafetiesTyrann Mathieu
Veteran safety Tyrann Mathieu — The Honey Badger, The Landlord, the Chiefs’ Walter Payton Man of the Year winner for 2021 — was brought in to be one of the leaders of the defense. He was able to help this team get over the hump and win a championship. Mathieu is arguably the best safety the Chiefs have and most talented member of their secondary outside of Sneed. The main issue is that Mathieu seems to make some business decisions at times that send a poor message to the rest of the roster. He might be injured some of those times, but allowing the offensive player to score when he could have made a tackle or had the angle just isn’t what this defense needs to lead them. If he does return on a new contract, Mathieu has to sell out for this team on the field every play.Juan Thornhill
Two years removed from a torn ACL, Juan Thornhill still doesn’t show the same range at the free-safety position that he did his rookie year. That is cause for concern in my book. He can come downhill in a straight line, but the ability to open, turn and run to close the angle still doesn’t appear to be there from a lateral perspective. Thornhill can be serviceable in two-deep coverages, but he becomes a liability in single-high looks. The tragic thing, with respect to his NFL career, is that he may never regain his rookie form.Daniel Sorensen
“Dirty” Dan Sorensen gave this organization and fan base all the ability he had. He loved football and making big hits. He was never a premium athlete, but he was always willing to push himself physically and mentally to be in good position. During the 2021 season, Sorenson’s athletic ability fell off the cliff. He can no longer make up for an error with his athletic ability. Father Time has caught up with him.Armani Watts
Veteran backup Armani Watts is a solid special teams performer. He can make a career out of that alone, but Watts still doesn’t appear to still have a good grasp on zone coverage four years into his career. The former Texas A&M star originally showcased as a physical, downhill, run-support strong safety with good acceleration and closing speed to go with it. It just never translated into a player the Chiefs could rely on in their defensive scheme.Outlook: The Chiefs probably need to invest heavily in safety through free agency and the draft. They will need to prioritize speed, the ability to track the ball, versatility, quick processing when diagnosing route combinations, and range. The position might need a complete overhaul.This was final evaluation in the series. The next series will pick up with potential free agents who fit the Chiefs’ needs.Additional Chiefs roster evaluationsFeb. 10 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs quarterbacks, running backs
Feb. 11 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs wide receivers, tight ends
Feb. 12 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs offensive linemen
Feb. 13 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs defensive linemen
Feb. 14 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs linebackersMore Chiefs offseason analysisRELATED | Nick Jacobs: 5 ways for Chiefs to create cap space in 2022
RELATED | Nick Jacobs: Assessing Chiefs’ biggest team needs for 2022
RELATED | Expect Chiefs to be more active in free agency in 2022
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