The Kansas City Chiefs selected Marcus Peters with their first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft not just because Peters was far and away the most talented player left on GM John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid's board by that point, but because the Chiefs struggled through serious cornerback deficiencies the year prior.
Losing safety Eric Berry certainly didn't help, as it weakened a formerly elite position, causing the entire structure of the back-end of Bob Sutton's defense to crumble. But the rest of the crew, headlined by Marcus Cooper, Chris Owens and Jamell Fleming, left much to be desired with their play in 2014.
While Berry has been making strides to return to the field, Ron Parker was resigned to a lucrative new deal this offseason and Peters was brought in on Day One of the draft, it seems another Chiefs corner has been making big strides and could be ready to surprise in 2015.
"One of most improved players from year 1 to 2 in #NFL this year that everyone will b talking about in the fall? CB Phillip Gaines #Chiefs," ESPN NFL Analyst and former NFL personnel executive Louis Riddick tweeted early Thursday.
Gaines, the Chiefs third-round pick in 2014, appeared in 13 games for Kansas City his rookie season, nabbing just 20 tackles and four passes defensed.
The 6-foot, 193-pound Gaines brings fantastic size, length and speed to the cornerback position, but faced questions during the pre-draft process over his tackling and man coverage ability.
"He's a long corner who had a tremendous combine workout. I felt like he's a developmental guy, but he has starter skills," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said at the time, via NFL.com.
Gaines began his Chiefs career as a gunner on special teams but finally, through the failings of Cooper and Fleming, got to see ample time with the starters in early Nov. during a game against the New York Jets.
Gaines did not disappoint, showing an unexpected versatility, seeing time in the slot, outside and even at safety.
Despite showing promise, like most young secondary players, Gaines' play also made it clear that he has ample room for improvement.
If Riddick is accurate in his assessment of the strides Gaines has made this offseason, it will be a major boon to Sutton and the entire Chiefs defensive unit and could help assuage many of the issues the group faced last year.
