PFF snubbed Sauce Gardner but not Trent McDuffie (thanks to a technicality)

Trent McDuffie barely. made the cutoff point.

Pro Football Focus has announced this year's edition of their annual Top 25 Players Under 25 list, and McDuffie has once again made the team. Interestingly enough, he's still young enough to merit consideration but only by a matter of days—which is not true for other prospects who are still his age.

To explain things a bit further, McDuffie is currently 24 and won't turn 25 until September 13. That's after the new NFL season begins, which is the arbitrary cut-off point set by PFF to qualify for inclusion. Unfortunately that means leaving names like Sauce Gardner off of the list, even though he is also 24, like McDuffie.

The new Top 25 Under 25 list out at Pro Football Focus.

With that caveat aside, it's nice to see PFF celebrating McDuffie once again considering his importance to the Kansas City Chiefs' secondary.

The Chiefs made McDuffie their initial pick of two first-round selections in the 2022 NFL Draft (along with Purdue pass rusher George Karlaftis), and he instantly became the most talented corner on the team in years. He was a first-team All-Pro by his second season and was named second-team All-Pro last season as well.

Pro Football Focus's metrics agree with the All-Pro voters. Jonathan Macri of PFF writes, "McDuffie went from being a top-five nickel cornerback in PFF overall grade for Steve Spagnuolo’s defense in 2023 to a top-five outside cornerback in 2024. He is the NFL's highest-graded cornerback since 2023 (89.7)."

While the Chiefs have built an impressive draft-and-develop pipeline at cornerback in recent years, McDuffie's ceiling is by far the highest, which is why the team has already verbally committed to rewarding him with a long-term contract.

Assuming there's no drama on the part of McDuffie's agents or a change of heart on the part of the Chiefs, fans should expect to hear news of a lucrative extension for McDuffie at some point this offseason. The same should be coming for guard Trey Smith and potentially Karlaftis as well.

While McDuffie shines wherever the Chiefs put him, he could be poised for his finest season yet, since he truly thrives in the slot corner role. His fluid movements, top-tier instincts, and uncanny ability to mirror has turned him into the league's best lockdown defender inside. The Chiefs' acquisition of Kristian Fulton in free agency should allow McDuffie to slide back inside on a majority of snaps in 2025.

As for other mentions on the Top 25 Under 25 list, no other Chiefs players could be found, but that's not because none deserved it. Karlaftis has been a very good piece as well on the Chiefs' defense, and it would be interesting to see how close he came to landing on the list. Even more, wide receiver Xavier Worthy is only 22 and feels like a likely future candidate himself for this list if his late-season breakout is any indication of where he's headed next season.