What Was the Best Move of the Chiefs' Offseason?

While the Kansas City Chiefs have been the subject of plenty of off-the-field news throughout the often-quiet month of May, the team's roster is generally set ahead of the team's return to training camp this summer.

Did the Chiefs do enough to improve their squad this offseason? What was Kansas City's best move of 2026? Those are questions that Bill Barnwell of ESPN attempted to answer for all 32 teams after letting the dust settle from free agency and the NFL Draft this spring.

What was the Chiefs' best move of the 2026 offseason?

Barnwell went with a bit of an under-the-radar choice as his pick for the Chiefs' best move of the offseason, selecting Kansas City's low-cost signing of former Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou to a one-year, $1.8 million deal.

"The Chiefs have drafted and developed plenty of cornerbacks under coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, but they've also been willing to take their chances on young CBs who aren't at their peak value in the hopes of building them up," Barnwell wrote. "The most famous example of this is Bashaud Breeland, who played a significant role on the 2019 Chiefs (as they won their first Super Bowl in a half-century) while making $2 million."

The Chiefs' track record with reclamation project cornerbacks has been impressive with Spagnuolo and defensive backs coach Dave Merritt, but why does Barnwell see Kohou on a path back to a contributing role?

"Kohou's career hasn't gone as expected in just about every way," Barnwell continued. "An undrafted free agent, Kohou made the Dolphins' roster in 2022 and excelled as a rookie, posting an 83.2 passer rating in coverage. He looked like a building block in the making, but Kohou struggled badly in 2023 under Vic Fangio and lost his every-down role.

"Kohou appeared to be back on track by the end of 2024, but he sustained a torn ACL in training camp and sat out all of the 2025 season. At his best, Kohou offered the ability to play inside and outside with above-average coverage skills. Tackling was a concern, which could cause Kohou problems in Kansas City, but the Chiefs are desperate for cornerbacks after losing Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson this offseason. Kohou is the right sort of risk."

Where does Kader Kohou fit in the Chiefs' cornerback room?

By losing McDuffie and Watson in the same year, the Chiefs had a tall task to rebuild the cornerback depth chart in one offseason. First-round pick Mansoor Delane is Kansas City's biggest investment in the room, but Kohou could bring the best value.

At virtually no cost (and therefore very little risk), Kohou could solve a massive problem for the 2026 Chiefs.

McDuffie's best work came in the slot, where Kohou projects as a solid fit in Spagnuolo's defense. Delane and 2025 third-round pick Nohl Williams are the likely starters on the boundary (with veteran Kristian Fulton also in the mix), so Kohou shouldn't need to spend much time on the outside in '26.

One wrinkle in Kohou's path to playing time came in the fourth round of the 2026 draft when the Chiefs selected Oregon defensive back Jadon Canady. Canady's versatility was a selling point for Chiefs area scout Greg Castillo when speaking to the media after the pick.

"He's [an] uber competitive nickel corner," Castillo said. "And at the same time, I think the most important thing is he also provides special teams value. This guy has been a productive gunner everywhere he’s been. So, just from a nickel standpoint, he’ll compete for that role and in addition to that, this guy is a feisty competitor."

Kohou may have the inside track as the veteran of the group, but Canady has a chance to earn legitimate playing time early in his career. In the meantime, Kansas City's slot cornerback battle could be one of the more compelling storylines of Chiefs training camp this summer.

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