Spagnuolo's Young Corners Are Ahead of Schedule

Chiefs Kingdom spent the offseason worrying about who would cover anybody. Four games in, the kids at corner are giving Steve Spagnuolo reasons to smile.

Our Take: A rookie and a second-year pro holding up on the boundary is the quiet reason this retooled defense works. Clean up the penalties and this pairing becomes a real strength.

Per Arrowhead Pride's Jared Sapp, Spagnuolo said Thursday that rookie Mansoor Delane, the sixth overall pick out of LSU, is "on a progression upward" and that Delane and Nohl Williams together "have been a pleasant surprise." He added, "They're playing aggressive like we want," while noting the duo needs fewer penalties and better leverage. The defense ranks seventh in the league, allowing 19.3 points per game.

Delane was limited in camp by a shoulder injury he aggravated in Week 1 on the play where he made an interception, and Spagnuolo said the rookie appears to have put the shoulder "out of his mind." Spags also said he's glad to have safety Chamarri Conner back from a knee injury and plans to keep rotating Jaden Hicks and Alohi Gilman, calling Chris Roland-Wallace "a constant stabilizing guy." He praised Kristian Fulton's work in Delane's absence too.

What to watch Sunday against the Chargers at Arrowhead: penalty flags on the corners, how the safety rotation shakes out with Conner back, and whether Delane keeps coming downhill in run support.

Sources: Arrowhead Pride