Fact or fiction: Trent McDuffie’s best position is inside

“I think the wild card in all of this is McDuffie. He’s been brought in to play outside, but I personally feel he’s best as a nickel…I do wonder, with matchups, if they find ways to bring him inside…Trent McDuffie will always be on the field, obviously, but if they play him inside a little bit more, take a safety off, I think you could see more standard nickel.” That opinion about McDuffie being better in the slot than the outside is extremely common. It’s been a sticking point in analyzing the trade after the fact just like it was a major point of discussion for the Chiefs over the last several seasons. (Full disclosure, as a radio host in Kansas, I have watched *a lot* of Trent McDuffie in the last four years and heard a lot of these discussions unfold as he’s advanced in his career). But, again, is it true? Is he as significantly more productive in the slot as the public believes? McDuffie is a two-time All-Pro, earning a first-team nod in 2023 and second-team honors in 2024. In 2023, he played 301 snaps in the slot compared to 167 on the outside (those numbers, and all those to follow, are pulled from NextGenStats and NFL Pro). On those slot snaps and the 50 targets they encompassed, he held opponents to -0.8 EPA for the season. Compare that to his +6.8 EPA allowed in just 18 targets on 167 boundary snaps. In his most critically acclaimed season, the stats bare out that McDuffie was far more productive (and had far more opportunity) as a nickel than as an outside corner. In his second-team All-Pro season, the snap count distribution was flipped; he played four times as many snaps on the outside as he did on the inside. The advanced metrics lauded his performance on the boundary that season, posting a career-best -6.0 EPA allowed, the 15th best among all qualified defensive backs in the NFL the season. However, all four touchdowns McDuffie gave up as the closest defender in 2024 came on the boundary, while he didn’t allow a single score and held opposing quarterbacks to a 56.7 passer rating when defending the slot. All told, over the course of four years in Kansas City, McDuffie nearly twice as many snaps on the outside versus the slot (1,175 to 605). He had two seasons with a lower passer rating allowed in the slot than even his best season on the outside. His Catch Rate Over Expected allowed has increased as a boundary corner year over year since his 2022 debut, while it’s been volatile but still lower in the slot over time. McDuffie is a well above-average player no matter where you put him. And, given the new contract for Quentin Lake this offseason, the Rams will likely be putting him on the outside more often than not, at least for the foreseeable future. He’s got strong coverage skills, he’s aggressive, a steady tackler and a willing blitzer. It’s why he’s been an All-Pro honoree twice in just four seasons at a pro. But the data backs up plenty of tape analysis and many commonly held opinions: McDuffie’s at his absolute best when he’s in the slot. Getting his talent on the field is a no-doubt upgrade for the Rams heading into this season. However, it also brings up a compelling argument about which players will get slotted into their best positions and which ones will be placed where it makes the most sense for overall roster cohesion. If it takes time to find the correct balance, there’s no doubt there will be plenty of questions from the outside about the value of this big swing.