The Need for Sneed looked promising in the 2020-21 season, but could he turn into the best cornerback to grace Arrowhead stadium in Chiefs history?
Drafted on day three of the draft in the fourth round with the 138th pick, Sneed expectations were in the middle. He wasn’t expected to be an absolute star, but he should be solid once this bizarre season comes along, and let’s just say he shattered expectations.
With that said, could he be the Chiefs corner to ever put on the uniform? Let’s break down the stats to see if this could be possible:
Here are the key stats he posted in his rookie year:
Nine games, six starting
- 41 tackles (31 solos, ten assisted)
- Two tackles for a loss
- Two sacks
- Three QB hits
- Three interceptions
- Seven passes deflected
- 54.2 passer rating (5th in the league)
Saying that this start is great would be an understatement as he was the best rookie corner this season. A rookie in the top five in passer rating is a rare sight to see; and, to add on to some wacky stats, he has only allowed one 20+ yard completion in over 200 coverage snaps. Compared to other rookies that were the best in the league, he has done significantly better in coverage. These include names like Antonie Winfield Jr. and Jaylon Johnson:
He was also great in the blitz as well. Spagnuolo utilized him well as on the 13 times he brought on the blitz, he had three pressures that attributed to the two sacks and three QB hits stated before. He can lock down anyone he’s guarding, and he has shown numerous times the quickness that all corners and safties should strive to have in this league, especially to keep up with faster receivers.
He’ll have to surpass many big names that have dawned the red, yellow, and white. Here are the key names he’d have to excel to be dubbed the best corner in Chiefs history:
*Side note: this isn’t my top three; it’s just corners he’d have to surpass. I don’t want anyone to think the wrong idea*
Albert Lewis: In eleven years in Kansas City, he had 832 combined tackles, 4.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, 38 interceptions for 329 return yards, 12 fumble recoveries with one touchdown, and a safety (he had 82 passes deflected throughout his career, but there is no number for his time with the Chiefs as it wasn’t recorded at the time). He also had four pro-bowl appearances and two first-team all-pro appearances in 1989 and 1990.
Emmitt Thomas: In his 13-year career where he played in KC, he had 58 interceptions that rank 12th all-time, 937 return yards, and five interceptions returned for a touchdown. He had also forced a fumble and had seven fumble recoveries as well. Tackles were not recorded in this time frame, so anything regarding tackling won’t be on here along with passer rating as it wasn’t recorded, however, he was known as one of the most lockdown corners of his time period. He wouldn’t have five pro bowls, a first-team all-pro appearance, a Super Bowl ring, two AFL Championships, and be in the Hall of Fame for nothing.
Brandon Flowers: In his six years at KC, Flowers stood out with 325 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, two sacks, four QB hits, four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, 17 interceptions for 344 yards and three touchdowns, and 90 pass deflections (his passer rating is unknown). He also had a pro bowl appearance and was named to PFF’s 2010 1st-team All-Pro.
Other corners he’d have to surpass (in their Chiefs years):
- Dale Carter
- Marcus Peters
- James Hasty
- Kevin Ross
- Brandon Carr
Can he do it?
If his stats keep on trending like they are and he trends higher when he plays a full season, then yes, I can see it happening. Of course, time will tell and it’ll probably be a few years before we can consider him in the best corners of Chiefs kingdom; but, at this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if he became one of the best in the league. He has already proved to a lot of people that he was among the steals of the draft. The former fourth-rounder is now being put in the top-ten for some redrafts.
Do you think Sneed could be the best corner in Chiefs history? Leave a comment down below to join the discussion. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @HunterStanton8 and @ArrowheadLive. Thanks for reading, and have a fantastic day.
We are very proud of L’Jarius in our little corner of Northwasr Louisiana. He was a good kid and now a good young man. He will go fat.