ESPN tabs former Duck Jadon Canady as candidate to unseat veteran CB

When Jadon Canady transferred to the Oregon Ducks last offseason after spending two seasons each at Tulane and Ole Miss, it was widely considered to be a nice pickup. Starting at safety for the Rebels in 2024, he registered 38 tackles and 11 passes defensed, strong numbers in the SEC. But considering the overall talent level in the Ducks' secondary, Canady still wasn't a shoo-in to be a starter.

That soon became a foolish take, as the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder immediately blossomed into a star as Oregon's slot corner. He intercepted a pair of passes, forced a fumble and finished with 39 tackles. Simply put, he was one of the Ducks' most valuable defenders thanks to his playmaking prowess.

That trait very well could be a prime reason for why the Kansas City Chiefs selected Canady with the 109th pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Last season's starting slot cornerback for the Chiefs was Chamarri Conner, a third-year man and a former fourth-rounder out of Virginia Tech. On the surface, he had a solid campaign, finishing second on the team in tackles (117) while picking off two passes. But his coverage stats were less inspiring.

"Over the past two seasons, Conner has surrendered 0.11 EPA per target in the slot (11th worst among DBs with at least 50 slot targets) and a success rate of 53.8% -- only 2025 rookie Jacob Parrish was worse," ESPN's Ben Solak wrote in his article featuring veterans on the hot seat following the 2026 draft.

"Conner simply does not make enough plays at the catch point to play a permanent coverage role," Solak continued. "Enter Jadon Canady. Like Conner, Canady is a fourth-round pick who spent time at safety in the college ranks. But his best play was in the slot, where he finished his career at Oregon. Canady had 19 passes defensed combined over his last two years and will -- along with free agent signing Kader Kohou -- immediately challenge for the slot job."