Kansas City Chiefs select Kamal Hadden in sixth round of 2024 NFL Draft
Tennessee cornerback Kamal Hadden is off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft. Hadden has been selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 211 pick in the sixth round.
Kamal Hadden became one of the top cornerbacks in the SEC, after starting his career at Independence Community College. He spent three seasons with the Vols, before leaving for the NFL.
This past season, Hadden started the first seven games, before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
Hadden had a defensive coverage grade of 90.4 last season, according to PFF. That ranked No. 2 in the SEC and No. 5 in the nation. He allowed only 12 catches on 33 targets and did not give up a touchdown pass the entire season.
He had 19 tackles and three interceptions in 2023, including a pick-six.
Kamal Hadden was ranked as a three-star recruit when he transferred over to Tennessee, according to the On3 Industry rankings.
The Michigan native immediately made an impact for the Vols after arriving in Knoxville in 2021. He played in seven games and made two starts that season, finishing with 17 tackles, two tackles for loss and an interception.
In 2022, Hadden worked his way into a starting role, playing in nine games and making six starts. He ranked sixth on the team in tackles with 51. Hadden also had 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery that year.
For his career, he played in 23 games, with 15 career starts. Hadden finished his time at Tennessee with 87 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions and 18 passes defended.
What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Kamal Hadden
As for what kind of player Kamal Hadden will be at the next level, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had this to say:
“Big cover corner with the athletic talent and skill set to employ in a variety of coverages. Hadden has the feet and strength to redirect routes from press but can be a little tight in his transitions when trying to simply mirror and match the release.
He anticipates route breaks with timing and steams in to break up throws. The ball skills are fine, but there can be too much panic and grab once he falls behind because of his subpar deep speed.
Hadden has good size and ball skills and improved his coverage squeeze in 2023. He has the length to annoy receivers from press and can sit back and read routes from zone, but he may need to be protected by scheme due to a lack of speed.”