4 L'Jarius Sneed replacements the Chiefs can have without breaking the bank
The future of cornerback L'Jarius Sneed with the Kansas City Chiefs is very much in flux at the moment. While the unforeseen and substantial increase in the salary cap certainly opens a more realistic opportunity to bring back both Sneed and star defensive tackle Chris Jones as they are set to hit free agency, it's not a guarantee -- something that Sneed is already toying with NFL fan bases over.
Subsequently, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has to consider the realistic possibility that the team's top cornerback could be on the move this offseason. That would lead to Kansas City searching for options to replace a key component of Steve Spagnuolo's defense, a corner playing inside, outside and all over the secondary.
If the Chiefs were to lose L'Jarius Sneed then, how would they replace him? These four options would not only offer the opportunity to accomplish that, but also be able to do so cheaply to allow Kansas City to allocate resources elsewhere.
4. Draft Mike Sainristil in the second round
As mentioned, one of the biggest assets that Sneed brought to the table was his inside-out versatility at cornerback. The difficult part, however, is that's a rare trait in the modern NFL, hence why Sneed is being so highly coveted in the free agent market.
With the Chiefs looking to replace him, though, it could be as simple as filling one of those roles and then shuffling the pieces to make the secondary complete. That would make targeting Michigan Wolverines cornerback Mike Sainristil as a late second-round pick a viable option for Kansas City looking to replace their departing star.
If not for size concerns, I'd venture to say that Sainristil would be a lock as a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, as he's listed at just 5-foot-10, 182 pounds, which is going to cause some NFL teams to view him as a slot option only. That could still help to remedy the loss of Sneed on the roster given how much he showed when pushing inside.
As a result, it would certainly put more on the plate of players already on the roster to step up on the outside. At the same time, however, solidifying the slot corner position with a player like Sainristril, who has been one of the absolute best in college at the position for the past two seasons, would go a long way toward making sure the loss of Sneed would not be felt too keenly.