4 L'Jarius Sneed replacements the Chiefs can have without breaking the bank

2. Draft Kool-Aid McKinstry in the first round

Obviously, winning the Super Bowl comes with one offseason disadvantage every single time: the NFL Draft. The Chiefs will be slotted to pick at No. 32, the final pick of the first round, as champions when the late-April event rolls around. That, in turn, means that a number of the top cornerback prospects will be off of the board.

When you look at the 2024 cornerback prospects, it appears that the likes of Iowa's Cooper DeJean, Alabama's Terrion Arnold, Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell, and maybe even Clemson's Nate Wiggins could all be off of the board by the time Kansas City comes on the clock. That doesn't block the Chiefs out, however, as someone like Kool-Aid McKinstry could still be on the board.

McKinstry entered the 2023 college football season as the top cornerback for the 2024 NFL Draft on most big boards. Even though he didn't remotely play poorly, though, that shine has worn off somewhat with lingering questions about his top-end and deep speed. But the fact of the matter is that he's a smooth, polished cornerback who plays within himself consistently and gets the job done. He's even a sure-armed tackler on the outside as well.

One of the secret sauces that the Chiefs have used in building this emerging dynasty is actually quite simple: Use early draft picks on prospects from high-level programs with high-end recruiting pedigrees. McKinstry fits that bill to a tee and his smooth-moving ability with loose hips could allow him to also see some inside-out work to even more wholly replace the loss of Sneed.