Rookie DB Chamarri Conner ‘Keeps Getting Better and Better'

Through 13 weeks of the 2023-24 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs' rookie class features just about everything. 

At the top, first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah rarely sees the field but second-round selection Rashee Rice is the team's best wide receiver. At the end, defensive end BJ Thompson, defensive tackle Keondre Coburn and cornerback Nic Jones are either healthy scratches, have been waived and re-signed by the team or only play on special teams. In the middle, however, offensive tackle Wanya Morris and defensive back Chamarri Conner are stepping up late in the year. The latter, a fourth-rounder, is making his living on defense and special teams.

After being almost exclusively a special-teamer for weeks on end, Conner is beginning to see his workload ramp back up on defense. The Virginia Tech product has logged double-digit defensive snaps in each of his last four games, good for a combined 51 reps. He also has his highest four-game total of snaps on special teams at 83.

Speaking to the media this week, special teams coordinator Dave Toub praised Conner and said he's a player for everyone to keep their eyes on moving forward. 

“He keeps getting better and better," Toub said. "I mean, that’s two games in a row that he made beautiful tackles on punt and open field tackles, so it tells you a lot about his football abilities. He’s going to be a great one down the road. I’m enjoying the fact that I have him right now and I know eventually he’s going to end up being in depth as a – you know getting more and more reps on defense. He’s already getting a lot now, but he’s going to get more and more as we go forward. He’s a player that you should be excited about.”

From a pure box score perspective, the aforementioned last four games have been Conner's most productive. The No. 119 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft has nine combined tackles in that span, making up 60% of his total for the year. The qualitative production on special teams, as Toub mentioned, might be the most obvious development. Because the quartet of L'Jarius Sneed, Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams ranks ahead of him at cornerback (at the minimum), it's challenging for Conner to get a ton of snaps on defense. The same was true at safety prior to this week, as three players — Justin Reid, Bryan Cook and Mike Edwards — made up the rotation. It's possible that Cook's ankle injury could have an impact on Conner's workload in some sets, but he probably won't see much of an uptick.

Many have compared Conner's profile to that of Sneed. Entering the league as a 6-foot safety with elite grades for explosiveness, those in Chiefs circles tossed around the idea of the rookie being an heir apparent to his older teammate. While Conner has shown to be rough around the edges at times in coverage and is more of a defensive back chess piece prototype rather than a traditional boundary corner, he's still found a nice role as a trusted player on special teams and an experimental one on defense.

Last year's rookie class aside (it was forced into action due to a numbers game on the depth chart), defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has typically sided with proven veterans or young talents over rookies who are still wet behind the ears. Special teams is the usual meal ticket to earning more snaps on defense, but Conner has been able to check both items off his list at the same time. As Kansas City gears up for a late-season run into the playoffs, he's getting more work instead of less. Toub's right — the team's excitement is warranted.