Jadon Canady reveals early familiarity with the Chiefs' coaching staff

Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Jadon Canady spoke with reporters in a press conference for the first time shortly after being selected 109th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. He discussed his familiarity with the coaching staff and his college experience, which prepared him for the next level.

"I mean, Coach (Dan) Lanning is from Kansas City (and) he's a big fan. He loves them, and he told me a number of times that he wanted me to play for his childhood team. I think me and Coach (Steve) Spags (Spagnuolo) and the whole DB corp kind of Zoomed for an hour or whatnot," said Canady. "So, I know Spags and the DBs coach (Dave Merritt) as well, and also the special teams coach (Dave Toub) and a few other guys as well."

In 2025, Canady earned All-Big Ten honorable mention. He discussed how his experience playing in both the SEC and Big Ten helped prepare him for the NFL.

"At a young age for me, it started pretty early because I'm from Florida, so I see a lot of the five-star guys and big-name guys at a young age," said Canady. "When I got to college, I wasn't surprised about seeing guys who were supposed to be first-round grades or guys (with) bigger names. Obviously seeing Ja'Marr Chase or (Justin Jefferson) Jettas – you'll be like oh wow, but you lock back in. I think playing in those conferences definitely helped me out a lot."

Canady spent only last season at Oregon after spending two seasons at Ole Miss and two at Tulane. He played in 13 games in his senior season at Oregon, recording 36 tackles, seven passes defensed, two interceptions, one tackle-for-loss, and one forced fumble.

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Jadon Canady reveals early familiarity with the Chiefs' coaching staff