Underrated Chiefs UDFA has the athleticism to fill biggest offseason void

After trading L'Jarius Sneed this offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking for someone to step up at cornerback in 2024.

A dark horse to do so could be newly signed undrafted free agent Miles Battle. A former wide receiver, Battle switched to cornerback midway through his freshman year at Ole Miss. He transferred to Utah for his senior season, where he recorded 32 total tackles, three passes defended and one interception. 

Battle has nice size and length at 6-foot-3. He recorded excellent athletic testing numbers during his Pro Day at Utah, including a 37-inch vertical and an unofficial 4.3 second 40-yard dash. Our friends over at Kansas City Sports Network listed Battle as a Teir 1 cBAT (cornerback athletic testing) qualifier. 

Battle's athleticism is what could get him in the thick of the Chiefs' cornerback competition. The departure of Sneed left a void for a big, athletic CB who can be a Swiss army knife type of defensive back. Early in his career Sneed what something of a slot cornerback/safety hybrid who blitzed a lot, which could be a good way to utilize Battle.

At this stage, Battle is a better athlete than a football player. He needs plenty of work on his body control and technique. He also makes too many mental mistakes, especially in zone coverage, which the Chiefs play a lot of. Most of that can probably be attributed to his newness at the position.

The Chiefs have had success finding diamonds in the rough at CB lately - including landing Jaylen Watson, Nic Jones and Nazeeh Johnson as seventh-round picks. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has a rich history of developing defensive backs. Keep an eye on Battle as we head toward minicamp and training camp this summer. As always, special teams performance is crucial for rookies making the roster.