Trent McDuffie Has High Praise for Chamarri Conner Entering Year Two

Conner made a nice impact down the stretch as a rookie, and McDuffie is setting the table for something even greater in 2024.

Dec 10, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs safety Chamarri Conner (27) intercepts a pass during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Last season, Steve Spagnuolo's defense was the best he's ever fielded during his tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs. Premier talent at all levels helped contribute to that, but a more than formidable secondary played a major role in that success.

It wasn't just the regular starters at cornerback or safety, either. 2023 NFL Draft pick Chamarri Conner burst onto the scene later in his rookie campaign, helping fuel Kansas City's run to Super Bowl LVIII.

With a year of experience under his belt, expectations for Conner are even higher as the 2024 offseason continues. Cornerback Trent McDuffie, hands-down the best player in the Chiefs' secondary, praised Conner at OTAs this week for handling just about everything thrown at him.

"I give big props to Chamarri," McDuffie said. "They've got him playing nickel, safety, dime, both safeties in this defense. I'm like, 'Yo, you got it! This is crazy.' He's asking me questions and I'm like, sometimes, 'I don't know, man. You've got to just play, you know?' He's one of those dudes who's quiet but works really hard. He asks the right questions and is very detailed. Maybe right now, he might make a few bumps along the road, but I just keep telling him, 'Just keep working at it and you'll get better at it.'"

Conner played in every game as a rookie, although it took a couple of months for his workload to increase. Truly, it wasn't until Bryan Cook's Week 13 injury against the Green Bay Packers that the door was opened for the Virginia Tech product. Conner logged a combined 207 defensive snaps the rest of the way into the postseason, then he added another 162 snaps in four playoff games. In those nine combined contests, he recorded 37 total tackles and logged his first career interception and forced fumble.

Versatility was one of Conner's main selling points entering the draft, and Spagnuolo worked with defensive backs coach Dave Merritt to test that. Conner spent 64 snaps lined up in the box, in addition to 109 in the slot and 113 as a traditional free safety. Considering his 81.9 passer rating and 8.7 yards per target surrendered in coverage, he still has room to improve as a Swiss Army knife of sorts.

With L'Jarius Sneed now a member of the Tennessee Titans, the Chiefs are embracing life without him. McDuffie, in addition to starters Cook and Justin Reid, will help lead that charge. It's expected that Conner will factor into the picture as well. He can fill multiple roles in the secondary, giving the coaching staff some options.

As Cook returns from that ankle injury, Spagnuolo can deploy Conner out of preference rather than necessity. For a Chiefs defense that boasts a seemingly endless variety of looks, it could make things that much more frustrating for opposing offenses to plan for.

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