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Jadon Canady competing with handful of CBs to start for Chiefs
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- Jadon Canady competing with handful of CBs to start for Chiefs
There's certainly a chance that Jadon Canady begins the season as one of three starting cornerbacks for the Kansas City Chiefs , but he'll face heavy competition to do so. The Chiefs hope that the former Oregon Duck who they drafted in the fourth round in 2026 becomes a steal and starts from Game 1 on, but they have plenty of insurance if that isn't the case.
In addition to selecting Canady in the 2026 NFL Draft, Kansas City also took LSU's Mansoor Delane 6th overall, giving him a leg up in the battle to start. Second-year player Nohl Williams showed promise as a rookie in a rotational role, while veterans L'Jarius Sneed, Kristian Fulton and Chris Roland-Wallace will each be looking to crack the lineup.
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As a Duck, Canady excelled in the slot, where he showed a strong ability to stay with jitterbug wide receiver types. But that's not to say he wasn't comfortable covering on deep routes, as one of his two interceptions in 2025 came on a deep fade against Washington.
It's that versatility that will aid the former Duck in the running for one of the three starting roles, two of which will be as outside corners with a slot corner as the third. In the modern NFL, it's not uncommon for defenses to role out nickel personnel as their base unit because of the elite passing ability and, to an extent, the lack of rushing excellence.
While there's six players competing for three spots, Canady's biggest competition will come from Roland-Wallace, according to ESPN Chiefs reporter Nate Taylor .
"At the nickel position, Roland-Wallace, a third-year player, should have an advantage over Canady when camp starts because of his familiarity in Spagnuolo's scheme," Taylor wrote. "Roland-Wallace was becoming a reliable contributor last season -- recording an interception and three pass breakups despite playing just 30% of the defensive snaps in 11 games -- but he sustained a back injury in late November that ended his season."
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Much will depend on Roland-Wallace's recovery from his back injury, but don't be surprised if Canady — who showed during his time at Oregon that he's a gamer — emerges during the preseason with the Chiefs and has, at the very least, a rotational role in the Kansas City lineup for their first game against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Jadon Canady competing with handful of CBs to start for Chiefs
