Chiefs Draft Pick Named KC’s ‘Best Sleeper’ for 2024

Over the last decade, the Kansas City Chiefs have developed an NFL draft dynasty.

However, championships have not been won just by Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones, and Travis Kelce.

KC also has a tendency for developing mid- to late-round talents into valuable players. Consider Tyreek Hill, a fifth-rounder, or L’Jarius Sneed, a fourth-round pick in 2020. The next “sleeper” pick could be Tennessee cornerback Kamal Hadden.

USA Today Sports Touchdown. On May 4, Wire’s Doug Farrar released a list of each team’s greatest draft sleeper, with Hadden representing Kansas City.

“Without Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, the Super Bowl champion Chiefs might not have even made it to the postseason,” Farrar said. “Key among Spagnuolo’s most important players reside in a secondary that Spags, GM Brett Veach, and the Chiefs’ scouting staff have prioritized.”

“And the Chiefs have gotten these guys from the first round (Trent McDuffie), the fourth round (the now-departed Sneed), and the seventh round (Jaylen Watson),” he said.

“Without Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, the Super Bowl champion Chiefs might not have even made it to the postseason,” Farrar said. “Key among Spagnuolo’s most important players reside in a secondary that Spags, GM Brett Veach, and the Chiefs’ scouting staff have prioritized.”

“And the Chiefs have gotten these guys from the first round (Trent McDuffie), the fourth round (the now-departed Sneed), and the seventh round (Jaylen Watson),” he said.

Adding: “Now there’s Tennessee’s Kamal Hadden, who Kansas City took with the 211th pick in the sixth round.” Last season, Hadden, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 196 pounds, allowed 12 catches on 33 targets for 96 yards, 55 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, three interceptions, six pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 7.0.

Veach noted Hadden’s “physicality” after the Chiefs drafted him. “Tough, physical kid,” the GM remarked. “He has a good press skillset and just like the way he plays.”

Based on that brief assessment, Hadden’s track record is similar to Sneed, the top departure this offseason. Farrar concluded that “when you watch Hadden close to the ball, he just looks like a Chiefs cornerback,” and after hearing Veach speak about the rookie cornerback, he sounds like one as well.

Kamal Hadden’s Coverage Strengths Make Him ‘Strong Fit’ for Chiefs Secondary Long-Term

Regarding his fit in a crowded young cornerback room, Arrowhead film analyst Ron Kopp Jr. believes Hadden will provide “able competition.”

“Hadden is a natural at playing outside cornerback and fits the criteria with a physical profile of 6’1″ and 196 pounds,” Kopp stated. stating: “There are flashes Hadden showed in college that his new teammates did not at the same level of competition.”

Kopp went on to analyze Hadden’s strengths, which he saw as playmaking in press coverage, attacking at the catch point, and having a “quick trigger downhill.”

“Hadden’s ability in coverage can earn him a spot in the Chiefs’ active rotation,” Kopp said later. “He appears to have a strong feel for breaking up passes and the flexibility to get to that point from different techniques off the snap.”

The film analyst concluded that Hadden’s skill set makes him a “strong fit” for Spagnuolo’s strategy. He was concerned about the rookie’s ability to tackle and “edge setter.”

New Chiefs CB Kamal Hadden Is Fully Recovered From Shoulder Surgery

Hadden’s draft stock appeared to suffer as a result of a season-ending shoulder injury sustained after only six games last year.

“While making a tackle during Tennessee’s seventh game against Alabama, Hadden sustained a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the rest of the season,” Arrowhead Pride’s Jared Sapp reported on May 6.

Now healthy again, Hadden is looking to test his mettle at the NFL level.