The Kansas City Chiefs are coming into this season with more question marks than they probably would like. The 2016 off-season marred by the losses of Sean Smith, Tyvon Branch, and Donald Stephenson, as well as a knee surgery for Justin Houston. This has left the Chiefs with some definite holes on both sides of the ball. Judging by what we’ve seen this preseason, Andy Reid is planning on starting some inexperienced players. In their efforts for another postseason run, the Chiefs young players will be key in the team’s success.
Young Kansas City Chiefs Are Key to Success
Replacing Sean Smith
The secondary is arguably the biggest concern for Kansas City. We saw 4 games last season in which the Chiefs were without Sean Smith due to suspension, and it was ugly. The defensive unit let up an average of 31.25 points and 295 passing yards per game. This in comparison to the average of 13.5 points and 209.7 passing yards per game with Smith, shows what an impact player he was. Without him, the job will likely fall upon second-year cornerback Steven Nelson or rookie D.J. White.
Steven Nelson didn’t see many snaps during his rookie campaign in which he only recorded 8 tackles. This season, he looks to be the favorite to play opposite of Marcus Peters. Despite his size, standing only at 5’11”, Nelson is a very physical player that excels at jamming receivers at the line and is good in run support. Being such a physical player also has its drawbacks, as he was the second most penalized senior coming out of college. Another knock against him was his ability to play man coverage. Considering how much man coverage defensive coordinator Bob Sutton likes to call, this could make Nelson a liability.
Rookie D.J. White surprisingly got the start in the Chiefs second preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. White, a sixth-round pick, has also seen the highest percentage of reps in practice this week as well. It’s clear that the coaching staff are taking some long looks at him. White has shown a good burst to the ball to help to close in on throws and cut routes short. He hasn’t been caught out of position much this preseason, which is good considering his recovery speed is something to be desired.
Whoever starts opposite of Peters this year will need to step up their game if they want to have any success on defense. The pass rush doesn’t matter if there is a receiver open.
Linebacking Corps
Due to an off-season knee surgery, Justin Houston isn’t expected back for the first few weeks of the season. 2014 first round draft pick Dee Ford is expected to fill in at left outside linebacker during his absence. Ford hasn’t been as productive as many projected, which is in part due to his small stature for a pass rushing linebacker. Too often, you would see him run upfield and taken out of the play by offensive linemen. Coming into 2016 Ford appears to have more of an NFL body, having put on muscle this off-season. With the added size there is a good chance Ford will be the disruptive force need him to be.
There is no doubt that veteran Derrick Johnson will be starting at inside linebacker. However with the injury to Josh Mauga, the Chiefs are going to have to rely on some young talent to help Johnson out. Currently, it looks like Ramik Wilson and Justin March are looking at taking the role. Both players are second-year players with definite upside.
Justin March was an undrafted free agent in 2015 that really impressed in camp. He was in contention for the spot next to Johnson as well until he suffered a season-ending meniscus injury. The Akron alumni prides himself on his pass coverage ability, coming is second on his team in 2014 with eight pass breakups. The coaching staff seems to really like him, as he was consistently getting reps with the first team unit in camp as well as starting a preseason game.
Ramik Wilson was the Chiefs fourth round pick in 2015 out of Georgia. He made a name for himself in college as a great tackler but lacked in coverage skills. Wilson, like March, has started a preseason game and played with the first team often. We might see a bit of the inside linebacker duties shared between March and Wilson, based on the opponents tendencies. With both players relative inexperience, you can expect other teams to try and exploit that.
Offensive Line
The Kansas City Chiefs offensive line saw a key departure this off-season, with Donald Stephenson going to Denver. While the Chiefs did bring in Mitchell Schwartz to take the starting right tackle position, the left guard position is still a question.
Parker Ehinger looks like he will be the starting left guard week one. He has been starting there all preseason as well as getting the majority of first-team reps in camp. The fourth round pick from Cincinnati primarily played tackle, but due to his lack of speed and strength, has been moved inside. The Chiefs coaching staff is going to be expecting a lot from Ehinger, as he will be facing some of the best front sevens in the league, with the likes of Denver and Oakland. It is quite a task the rookie has ahead of him.
In Summation
The Chiefs certainly addressed their needs in the draft this off-season. The real question is whether these players are going to be ready to make an impact day one. This season the rookies and first-year starters are going to be the key to winning games. While that may sit uneasily with fans, relying on rookies has worked out in the past with players like Marcus Peters, Spencer Ware, and Albert Wilson.
