The Kansas City Chiefs are set to kick off training camp in less than a week, and with the annual trek to St. Joseph nearly here, we're examining every position group on the roster heading into camp.
We'll wrap up this series with the defensive back group, where the Chiefs currently employ 19 players. Let's take a look at each, grouped by safeties and cornerbacks.
Safeties
Let's break down the Chiefs' seven primary safeties currently on the roster, sorted alphabetically.
Deon Bush
Bush, who signed a "Reserve/Futures" deal following the year, is back for his fourth season with Kansas City after spending last season on the practice squad (and appearing in two games).
The veteran safety has appeared in 31 games (including the playoffs) for Kansas City over the last three years, contributing mainly as a core special teamer. He ranked second on the Chiefs in special teams snaps in 2022 (with 317), and while he only appeared in eight regular-season games over the last two seasons, Bush was on the field for at least 60% of the Chiefs' special teams snaps in all but one of those games.
Bush has also made the most of his defensive snaps during his time with the Chiefs, notably when he picked off Ravens' quarterback Lamar Jackson in the 2023-24 AFC Championship Game.
Chamarri Conner
A player who demonstrated tremendous versatility in 2024, Conner shifted from his role as a primary safety (where he played in 2023) to a slot cornerback last season. In fact, 349 of Conner's 573 defensive snaps took place over the slot last year. Only 30 of his snaps occurred at safety, where he logged 113 snaps the season prior.
That move was mostly out of necessity following the trade of cornerback L'Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans. Sneed's departure meant that cornerback Trent McDuffie moved out of the slot and into Sneed's role outside, leaving a void in McDuffie's previous role. Conner stepped up in a big way and filled it well, but now with more depth in the secondary – notably the addition of free agent cornerback Kristian Fulton – it's possible Conner could see more snaps at safety in 2025 (rather than serving as a full-time slot corner).
Regardless, while his exact usage next season remains to be seen, Conner's value is certain. He has shown an ability to play all over the secondary, providing Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo with a versatile chess piece that he can deploy all over the field.
Conner's special teams contributions have been significant, too. He logged 187 special teams' snaps in 2024, which ranked seventh on the team.
Bryan Cook
A second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Cook started each of the Chiefs' 17 regular-season games in 2024, logging the second-most defensive snaps (974) of any player on the team.
He tallied 77 tackles, five passes defensed and two picks in that time, and heading into 2025, Cook figures to be one of the Chiefs' starting safeties once again.
Mike Edwards
A familiar face, Edwards signed with the Chiefs for his second stint in Kansas City back in April.
Edwards, who appeared in 17 games (with 5 starts) for the Chiefs in 2023, signed with Kansas City after splitting last season with the Buffalo Bills (3 games) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5 games).
He logged 621 snaps for the Chiefs' defense in 2023, which ranked second in the NFL in scoring (17.3 points-per-game) and yards allowed-per-game (289.8).
In terms of individual numbers, Edwards tallied five passes defensed, two tackles-for-loss, two fumble recoveries, an interception, a sack and a defensive touchdown during his lone season with Kansas City.
Now back in town, Edwards will have an opportunity to pick up where he left off as a member of Steve Spagnuolo's defense.
Jaden Hicks
Hicks, the No. 133 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has a major opportunity in front of him this season with former starting safety Justin Reid no longer in town. He impressed during his limited snaps last year, which included three interceptions, and following a strong spring, he has a real shot to take over Reid's role in Kansas City's defense.
"It's a good group of guys right now, and we're all competing trying to earn that spot," Hicks said during the offseason training program. "It's a good, healthy battle between us, and they're going to put the best out there on the field. So, I'm just trying to be my best, be the best for the team, and go from there."
Additionally, Reid – who spent three seasons as one of the Chiefs' defensive leaders – appears to have prepared Hicks for this very opportunity.
"I think I'm a lot more comfortable this year. There's obviously still room to grow and learn, but I think J-Reid was a great help," Hicks said. "He helped me get everything [down] and [taught me] to keep stacking the days, and keep getting better each day. I think that's the most important thing for this year."
He added that Reid made a point of taking Hicks under his wing in 2024, and while Reid is no longer a member of the team, his contributions may very well be felt in 2025 if Hicks can reach his potential.
Glendon Miller
An undrafted free agent signee, the 6-foot-3, 207-pound Miller primarily lined up over the slot last season, recording 39 tackles, three interceptions and three tackles-for-loss. It was a strong exclamation point on a career that included seven total picks over the last two seasons.
He put together a great pro day, too, recording a 4.44-second 40-yard dash and a 38-inch vertical jump that would have ranked fourth among all safeties at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Major Williams
A rookie from Carson-Newman University, Williams earned a contract with a successful tryout at Rookie Minicamp in May.
The 5-foot-11, 198-pound safety recorded 7.5 tackles-for-loss, six pass-breakups, a forced fumble and an interception in 12 games last season.
Cornerbacks
Next, here's a look at the 12 cornerbacks currently on the Chiefs' roster heading into camp. We'll begin with last year's major contributors in Trent McDuffie, Nazeeh Johnson, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, and Chris Roland-Wallace before proceeding alphabetically.
Trent McDuffie
McDuffie enters his fourth year in the NFL as one of the league's elite cornerbacks. A member of the NFL Top 100 rankings (No. 81 overall) and NFL.com's “All-Under-25 Team” heading into 2025, McDuffie has a shot to finish the year as the consensus top corner in the NFL.
Here's what Nick Shook, who compiled the aforementioned "All-Under-25 Team," wrote about McDuffie:
"Few corners blanket receivers better than McDuffie, who posted one of the best tight-window percentages (33.3%) at the position (minimum of 400 coverage snaps) last season, per NGS. The rest of his statistical picture isn't quite as impressive, but as a defender who is still allowing a targeted passer rating below 83 and already boasts a handful of clutch plays on his highlight reel, having followed up his first-team All-Pro selection in 2023 with a second-team All-Pro nod in 2024, McDuffie has cemented his place as a key piece in Kansas City for years to come."
Nazeeh Johnson
Johnson appeared in 16 games (with six starts) for Kansas City in 2024, recording the fifth-most snaps (494) of any defensive back on the roster. He tallied three passes defensed, three tackles-for-loss and a sack in that time, lining up primarily as an outside cornerback (429 of his 494 defensive snaps).
A seventh-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, Johnson was a significant contributor on special teams during his rookie campaign and appeared ready for a role in the secondary heading into 2023 before a torn ACL during training camp ended his season early.
It was an unfortunate setback for Johnson, but now two years removed from that injury, he'll have a chance to build on the progress he made in 2024.
Joshua Williams
Another member of the 2022 draft class, Williams has taken the field in 50 games (with 12 starts) over the last three years. He appeared in 17 games last year (making six starts), recording six passes defensed and a sack across 411 defensive snaps. Williams was also a major contributor on special teams, logging the sixth-most snaps (221) of any player on the roster.
Williams started each of the Chiefs' final five games in 2024 and will have an opportunity to earn a significant role once again this year with a strong camp.
Jaylen Watson
A seventh-round pick in 2022, Watson has appeared in 38 games (with 14 starts) over the last three seasons. He started the Chiefs' first six games in 2024 and played well, but an ankle injury suffered in Week 7 sidelined Watson for the remainder of the regular season.
He returned for the Chiefs' postseason run, however, and appears to be healthy heading into training camp.
Chris Roland-Wallace
The 6-foot-tall, 200-pound Roland-Wallace – an undrafted free agent signee in 2024 – went on to make the Chiefs' roster out of camp and appear in all 17 games (with two starts) last season. He logged double-digit defensive snaps in seven contests following Jaylen Watson's ankle injury mid-season while also serving as a consistent contributor on special teams (249 snaps).
Specifically, Roland-Wallace tallied 151 of his 194 total defensive snaps in the slot last year.
Prior to heading to the NFL, Wallace was a four-year starter at Arizona (2019-22) before transferring to USC for the 2023 season. He left his mark, too, as he led the Trojans in passes defensed (11) and interceptions (2) in 12 games (8 starts).
Jacobe Covington
An undrafted free agent signee, Covington – who checks in at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds with 32-inch arms – worked with the safeties through much of the Chiefs' offseason training program.
He tallied 345 of his 385 defensive snaps as an outside cornerback at USC in 2024, recording three passes defensed and forced fumble. His potential versatility to play both safety and cornerback will be something to watch in camp.
Kristian Fulton
One of the Chiefs' marquee free agent signees earlier this offseason, Fulton recorded seven passes defensed and an interception in 15 games with the Los Angeles Chargers last season. Specifically, 87% of Fulton's snaps took place as an outside corner.
Additionally, among players with at least 750 total snaps, Pro Football Focus ranked Fulton as the No. 15 cornerback in the NFL last year. Notably, among that group of players, Fulton also ranked eighth in terms of his run-defense.
Prior to joining the Chargers, Fulton spent four seasons as a member of the Tennessee Titans from 2020 through 2023.
He tallied 25 passes defensed and four interceptions during his time in Tennessee, notably compiling a 2021 campaign in which he ranked 11th among all players with 14 passes defensed.
Kevin Knowles
Another undrafted free agent signee, Knowles was a starter at nickelback at Florida State in 2024, tallying 32 tackles, four pass-breakups, two tackles-for-loss and a sack in 12 games.
It's also worth mentioning that the 5-foot-10, 189-pound Knowles recorded a 41-inch vertical jump at his pro day that would have led all cornerbacks at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Darius Rush
A fifth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2023 NFL Draft, Rush was the No. 63 overall player in Dane Brugler's draft guide for The Athletic. He was waived following training camp that year, however, and went on to spend the next several weeks with Kansas City's practice squad before signing with Pittsburgh.
Rush went on to appear in five games for the Steelers between the 2023-24 seasons, and upon his release from Pittsburgh in mid-October of last year, he re-joined the Chiefs' practice squad. Kansas City then signed Rush to a "Reserve/Futures" deal following the year.
Prior to being drafted, Rush – who began his collegiate career as a wide receiver – appeared in 43 games (with 21 starts) at the University of South Carolina from 2019-22.
Eric Scott
A sixth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 2023 NFL Draft, Scott – who attended nearby Basehor-Linwood High School in Kansas – quickly signed with the Chiefs after being waived by Dallas following training camp last year. He went on to spend the entirety of the season on Kansas City's practice squad and signed a "Reserve/Futures" contract following the year.
Prior to getting drafted, Scott spent three seasons at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Melvin Smith Jr.
An undrafted free agent signee from Southern Arkansas, Smith was a four-year starter who racked up 168 tackles, 46 passes defensed, nine interceptions and 6.5 tackles-for-loss in 45 career games. He was particularly productive over the course of his final two years in school, which included 35 passes defensed and nine picks in just 23 games.
Additionally, Smith – who ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at his pro day – routinely demonstrated his speed during his career with a 100-yard pick-six in 2023, and a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in 2024.
Nohl Williams
The No. 85 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of the University of California, Williams recorded an FBS-most seven interceptions in 2024, which included a 40-yard pick-six. His 16 passes defensed led the ACC.
It was a fitting exclamation point on a tremendous career that was characterized by taking the football away, as Williams' 14 total interceptions as a college player ranked second in the 2025 draft class. He also notched two fumble recoveries for touchdowns in 2023.
He was durable, too, as evidenced by his 50 career starts. Additionally, Williams was considered one of the top run-defenders among cornerbacks in the 2025 class.
The six-foot-tall, 199-pound Williams was the No. 8 cornerback in Dane Brugler's draft guide for The Athletic, and heading into camp, he'll certainly have an opportunity to work into the Chiefs' rotation at cornerback for 2025.
The Bottom Line
In terms of historical precedent, the Chiefs have been consistent in keeping 10 defensive backs for Week 1 in each of the last six seasons, and generally speaking, that group has been divided into six corners and four safeties.
Assuming that blueprint holds true for this year's camp, the competition will be fierce. At least on paper, this may be the deepest the Chiefs' secondary has been heading into camp in some time, and the reality is that Kansas City can't keep all of them.
It's a good problem to have, and it makes this group one of the more intriguing ones to watch heading into training camp as several players compete for only a handful of roster spots.
