Chiefs' Biggest Question Is All About The Defense
With key departures and aging stars, the Kansas City Chiefs' defensive front faces scrutiny. Can they rebuild effectively before the season kicks off?
The Kansas City Chiefs have been busy as can be during the NFL offseason. The Chiefs hired Eric Bieniemy once again to be the new offensive coordinator, then got news that tight end Travis Kelce has decided to stick around for at least one more season. Patrick Mahomes is doing well in his recovery from a torn ACL, but the Chiefs saw plenty of player movement.
All of Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook, Leo Chenal, Hollywood Brown, Trent McDuffie and Isiah Pacheco left this offseason, and some names, such as Kenneth Walker III and Alohi Gilman, came to Kansas City. All in all, a big question remains on how good the defense will be after a series of departures. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report had one question for every team entering the month of the NFL Draft, and it was all about the defensive line.
"Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid get most of the credit, but when the Chiefs are at their best, it's often because the defensive front is shining. But George Karlaftis is coming off somewhat of a down year while Chris Jones is beyond his prime. There's a good chance they use that No.
9 overall pick on an edge defender. And if not, we'll see how they navigate the rest of the offseason in that area," Gagnon wrote. That is a big area of concern for the Chiefs, and bringing in an edge rusher seems like an obvious fit, whether it be at No.