The Chiefs can repeat as Super Bowl champs if they upgrade their defense
Kansas City’s defense improved in 2019, but it still has work to do this offseason.
The Kansas City Chiefs ended a 50-year Super Bowl drought in exciting fashion, topping the San Francisco 49ers in a 31-20 comeback win. As the team moves past the Super Bowl, it faces some big questions. Namely, how to find enough salary cap room to sign mega star quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a new contract and figure out what to do with defensive lineman Chris Jones.
Under new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo last season, the combination of Jones and defensive end Frank Clark gave the Chiefs an imposing defensive line. Jones is a free agent looking for big money, and the Chiefs are expected to tag him. Do they sign him to an extension or let him play under the tag?
Kansas City Chiefs (12-4), Super Bowl champion
If the Chiefs want to get back to the Super Bowl, they have some notable needs that will need to be addressed.
Before free agency:
- Linebacker: Anthony Hitchens has been a bust of a free agent signing for the Chiefs. He was rated 81st out of 89 linebackers ranked by Pro Football Focus last season, but he’s on the books through 2022. Reggie Ragland has been a middling player since being taken in the second round in 2016. The Chiefs need to add athleticism at linebacker, which is why they’re often mocked Patrick Queen of LSU in the first round of the draft.
- Running back: Kansas City finished 23rd in the NFL in rushing and didn’t have a player break 500 yards on the ground. The draft is the easiest way to change that. The Chiefs could use their No. 32 pick on Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins or Georgia’s D’Andre Swift. If Kansas City waits until the second day of the draft, LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire or Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor would be a fit.
- Cornerback: Starter Bashaud Breeland is a free agent riding high off a stellar Super Bowl performance and could price himself out of town. Kendall Fuller is a free agent too. If the Chiefs want to maintain their improved pass coverage, a new starter at cornerback may be needed.
What Arrowhead Pride wants most this offseason: The Chiefs were able to win the Super Bowl thanks to a rebuilt defense to pair with their explosive offense, but the defense could still use upgrades at linebacker position and defensive back, especially with the possible departures of Breeland and Fuller. The Chiefs need to add depth along the interior offensive line, and perhaps even starters if they choose to save cap space by cutting starting center Austin Reiter or right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. On the weapons front, the Chiefs could use a healthy three-down running back, a No. 2 tight end, and another developmental wide receiver. — Pete Sweeney
After free agency:
Using the franchise tag on Chris Jones was an obvious but smart move to start Kansas City’s offseason. They also brought back Demarcus Robinson, so they’ll return their top four receivers from last season. But other than that, they’ve been mostly inactive, which means their needs remain virtually unchanged. That’s probably by design though, as the draft always made sense as the place to address these needs.
- Linebacker: Ragland went elsewhere and Hitchens is still a disappointment, so what the Chiefs really need is a Derrick Johnson-type in the middle of their defense. They need a tackling machine, somebody athletic, and they can get that somebody in the first round.
- Cornerback: The cornerback position is an even bigger need after free agency, after the Chiefs neglected to sign anybody at the position, including their own corners, Bashaud Breeland and Morris Claiborne, who remain free agents.
- Running back: Once again, this position makes perfect sense to address in the draft. The value of running backs on the open market is a moving target, while the Chiefs can almost assuredly find somebody productive after the first round.
We’ll check back on the Chiefs after the 2020 NFL Draft to see how they did addressing the holes on the roster.