Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach addressed the local media last Friday afternoon and spoke on a variety of draft-related topics, but one specific question was thrown his way regarding the cornerback position, which has seen a lot of turnover this offseason.
"At cornerback, we feel really good about Kendall Fuller, and Steve Nelson has shown that he continues to get better and he can help us out," Veach explained. "And then you bring in David Amerson, who is a guy we know has been up and down on the consistency level but he has all the physical attributes you need."
Fuller, who graded out as one of the best cornerbacks in the league last season, came over in the trade with the Washington Redskins for Alex Smith, and Amerson was signed as a free agent.
Those two moves were critical considering as things stand now the Chiefs will head into the 2018 NFL season without five of the cornerbacks who combined for 82 percent of the total snaps played at the position for them last year. The only one coming back who played considerable minutes is Nelson.
Veteran Darrelle Revis, who was picked up midseason, was released, while Kenneth Acker (Colts), Phillip Gaines (Bills), and Terrance Mitchell (Browns) all signed elsewhere as free agents. The Chiefs also traded Marcus Peters to the Los Angeles Rams for a couple of draft picks, including a fourth-rounder this year.
All that said, there are lot of outsiders who expect the Chiefs to target a cornerback in this year's draft at some point. And even without all of the turnover, it's still a pretty safe bet considering it's one of the positions that you carry the most bodies on a roster every year.
And while it's still a possibility, Veach was quick to praise a couple of players on the Chiefs' roster who figure into the mix who haven't been mentioned enough in his eyes.
"We still have guys like Keith Reaser and Will Redmond that people won't really talk about," Veach noted. "Redmond was a mid-round pick by the 49ers coming off an injury, and Reaser is another guy we like, and I think he was also coming off an injury out of Florida Atlantic a few years back.
"A lot of people won't talk about those guys, but when you start stacking those types of players in regards to what is out there in the draft class, you feel good about them."
Veach continued on about the defense, which he did mention was an area they were looking to improve.
"We will be certainly aggressive in all areas," he said. "And the defensive line, Chris (Jones), we feel he has a chance to be one of the best in the NFL. Xavier Williams filled a really big void for us and getting Allen (Bailey) healthy and playing a full 16 games will be big.
"We will have opportunities to add depth at both positions (CB and DL) I believe."
On the offensive side, Veach was asked about filling the vacancy left by versatile inside swing guy Zach Fulton, who signed with the Houston Texans this offseason after starting 46 games for the Chiefs over the past four years.
"Yeah, I think swing offensive lineman, whether it be guard, center, or guard to tackle, swing guys are always a priority," he added. "That's why it is going to be a big loss. [Fulton] was a really good player for us. He did a lot of great things. He can go play guard, he can play center. That will certainly be a direction we go in. Talking back to Cam (Erving), that guy can do a lot of different things.
"I think versatility is a premium and that is why linemen go high, and that is why you have to draft a few every year."
