Former Tennessee Vols cornerback Kamal Hadden was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round (No. 211 overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Hadden graded out (per Pro Football Focus) as one of the top cornerbacks in college football last season, but he fell in the draft due in part to a shoulder injury that prematurely ended his final season at Tennessee.
The former Vol landed in a dream scenario with the Chiefs. Not only is Hadden suiting up for the defending Super Bowl champions, but he landed with a franchise that has a strong reputation for developing defensive backs.
Still, every late round draft selection has a tough hill to climb to win a 53-man roster spot.
We'll have a better idea of what Hadden's outlook for the 2024 season will be later this summer when Chiefs training camp gets underway. But for now, A to Z Sports Chiefs insider Charles Goldman, who has covered the franchise since 2016, has Hadden making Kansas City's 53-man roster vis his early 53-man roster prediction.
"Hadden has an upward battle to make the 53-man roster in Kansas City, but I can certainly see a path to him making the team," said Goldman about Hadden's battle for a roster spot. "With L'Jarius Sneed now a member of the Tennessee Titans, the top cornerbacks in Kansas City all come from their 2022 draft class: Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, and Nazeeh Johnson. The Chiefs typically roster six cornerbacks. Hadden's main competition will be former 2023 seventh-round pick Nic Jones, 2023 UDFA CB Ekow Boye-Doe, former Dallas Cowboys second-round pick Kelvin Joseph, and 2024 UDFA Miles Battle. He can certainly give those four a run for their money."
"Hadden's stats from just seven games in 2023 are eye-popping," continued Goldman. "He led the Vols in passes defended and interceptions, allowing just a 7.0 passer rating into his coverage. That'll play in Steve Spagnuolo's defense, but he'll have to kick up his physicality just a bit if he's going to oust players like Jones, Boye-Doe, Joseph, and Battle for a roster spot."
Goldman's comment about Hadden's physicality highlights one of the biggest concerns about the former Tennessee standout.
Tackling is an area where Hadden had some lapses at times with the Vols (most notably the infamous missed tackle against Florida in 2023).
Hadden certainly has some things he needs to work on, but he excelled in the best conference in college football. And perhaps most encouraging, Hadden continued to improve throughout his time at Tennessee, which suggests he has plenty he can unlock as he begins his pro career with the Chiefs.
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