The Kansas City Chiefs have a ton of young stars on the defensive side of the ball. One of the best things the Chiefs have on their side is youth, as several young players have found success early in their careers while donning a Chiefs uniform. For undrafted free agent Christian Roland-Wallace, it seems as though the best is yet to come.
Roland-Wallace was picked up by the Chiefs last season, signing a 3 year, $2,835,000 contract with Kansas City. Given the Chiefs needed to add depth to the cornerback position this offseason, this should be extra motivation for Roland-Wallace to want to step up his game and perform in the second year of his deal.
Since Roland-Wallace went undrafted, the Chiefs didn’t give him a four-year deal as they do for their drafted talent. Meaning that Roland-Wallace is in a position where if he doesn’t perform to the best of his abilities, he could be released for one of the younger players looking to make a name for themselves.
Through 17 games last year, the Chiefs’ cornerback collected 34 total tackles, 23 solo tackles, had one pass defended, and played 132 of his 194 snaps in coverage. According to PFF, Roland-Wallace was an average defender, earning an overall grade of 62.6. His run defense grade was the best, earning a 72.2 in that category and ranking 41st out of 222 qualified players.
Likely a part of the steady competition within the cornerback room this offseason, Roland-Wallace brings adversity to the table that the Chiefs are looking to bring out. The 24-year-old started in two games, and seeing the younger talent filter in behind him, perhaps he is in a spot to earn more starts down the line.
One encouraging sign that Roland-Wallace has started to put things together came during the Chiefs’ playoff run. During the regular season, Roland-Wallace collected three stuffs throughout the 18 weeks. In three playoff games, he collected five, while not a statistic that jumps off the page, it shows his value under pressure.
All in all, the Chiefs wouldn’t have brought him in if they didn’t believe in the skills he has. Now with a full season in the pros under his belt, it should provide Roland-Wallace more confidence to elevate his game.
