One unheralded Chiefs rookie seemingly stole a veteran’s job in Week 7 while no one was looking. With starting cornerback Jaylen Watson on the shelf, it’s seemingly Christian Roland-Wallace’s time to shine.
An undrafted rookie out of USC, Roland-Wallace might be the latest example of Brett Veach and Steve Spagnuolo’s innate ability to turn afterthought defensive backs into valuable contributors.
Roland-Wallace notched his first career interception against Brock Purdy and the 49ers last week. Based on recent snap counts, it appears the coaching staff favors him over third-year veteran Joshua Williams too.
Chiefs Rookie CB Christian Roland-Wallace Seemingly Stole Joshua Williams’ Role
I would literally take a bullet for Chris Roland-Wallace – a player whom I’ve been a lifelong fan of. pic.twitter.com/wbx7WnxoHw
— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) October 20, 2024
Not all interceptions are created equal, yet Roland-Wallace was in the right time and place regardless. He played 24% of the defensive snaps in Week 7 compared to just 19% for Williams, suggesting the youngster will be a larger beneficiary of Watson’s injury.
A five-year contributor at Arizona in college, Roland-Wallace had 26 deflected passes, seven tackles-for-loss and four interceptions during his career, illustrating the kind of versatility that’s made Spagnuolo’s secondary famous.
At six-foot and 200 pounds, Roland-Wallace has the prerequisite size to succeed in this system. His experience speaks for itself, and it’s notable that he’s so quickly overtaken Williams on the totem pole.
Trent McDuffie, Nazeeh Johnson, and Chamarri Conner will all work ahead of the rookie. Even still, this is a tremendous opportunity for the ex-Wildcat to prove he can make a difference on the NFL’s best defense. If he succeeds against a poor Raiders offense, it’ll make things easy for Brett Veach approaching the trade deadline.
Kansas City constantly churns out productive cornerbacks. Should things go well on Sunday against the Raiders, Roland-Wallace will have earned himself a legitimate spot in the rotation moving forward.
