You might not have heard Kansas City Chiefs rookie CB Trent McDuffie’s name during the broadcast last night, but that’s actually a good thing.
The Chiefs traded up in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft to select McDuffie at pick No. 21 overall. There were some big expectations for the rookie corner out of Washington and he met those expectations and then some in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.
It wasn’t like his fellow Washington alum Marcus Peters’ debut with the Chiefs back in 2015, where he had one interception and three passes defended. No, McDuffie had a subtle, but dominant Week 1 performance at least until he left the game early with a hamstring injury.
According to the folks at Pro Football Focus, McDuffie played 21 coverage snaps during his NFL debut. Kyler Murray didn’t target the rookie once on Sunday.
How good was #Chiefs rookie CB Trent McDuffie in his debut? He played 21 coverage snaps before he suffered a hamstring strain. He wasn't targeted once in those 21 snaps per @PFF. Lockdown.
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) September 12, 2022
Typically, as a rookie in the NFL, quarterbacks are going to be coached up to know your number and test you with throws in your direction. That didn’t happen with McDuffie because his coverage was so airtight.
This is exactly the reputation he had at Washington too. In his final season with the huskies, McDuffie allowed just 16 catches on 36 targets for 111 yards, no touchdowns and five pass breakups per PFF. It’s clear that aspect of his game has translated to the next level.
Now, it’s just a matter of getting McDuffie back healthy and building on that Week 1 performance.
