Grading the Chiefs’ pick of Louisiana Tech’s L’Jarius Sneed

The Kansas City Chiefs have made their fourth selection of the 2020 NFL Draft!

With the 138th overall pick, the Chiefs took Louisiana Tech defensive back L’Jarius Sneed. We have insta-grades from the three members of the Arrowhead Pride Nerd Squad.

Craig Stout: Sneed played safety in 2019, but will likely move back to cornerback — where he played in 2018. He is a long, athletic cornerback with aggressive technique. He’s also a ball hawk, with three pick-sixes in his career. Sneed checks all the boxes for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo: size, length, aggression, and ball skills. Just like any pick in this range, he’ll need some development before contribution, but he’s got terrific upside as a boundary cornerback. Grade: B

Kent Swanson: It’s going to be fascinating to see the Chiefs’ plan for Sneed as defensive back. He has a background at cornerback, where he played in 2018. Regardless of the plan, the Chiefs added an excellent athlete to the defensive back room — a physical player with good ball skills. He should thrive on special teams immediately. I hope they’re trying him at corner. Grade: B+

Matt Lane: I was late getting eyes on Sneed until later in the process after the feedback from his time at safety was mediocre. But at cornerback in 2018, he absolutely showed there is something to work with. He’s incredibly physical at the line of scrimmage, pairing that with great length, speed, and fluidity. While he may lack a bit in foot speed, he has the ability to carry guys vertically and challenge anyone at the catch point. He has some highlight reps pressing wide receivers at the line of scrimmage, which I’m sure will make people happy. I did have a handful of cornerbacks left who I had graded more highly, but his blend of speed and length was among the best of the available defensive backs. Grade: B