The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the best rosters in football, but PFF believes they can improve it by signing free agent Za’Darius Smith. Despite making it to the Super Bowl last year, Kansas City was not quite as good as its 15-2 record would suggest. The flaws in the armor showed up during their blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and they have done a good job of fixing their weaknesses.
Offensive tackle was the biggest issue, so Kansas City aggressively pursued free agent Jaylon Moore and used their first-round pick on Ohio State’s Josh Simmons. Meanwhile, the wide receiver room should improve with the return of Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy becoming more consistent in Year 2. However, they could still use another pass rusher, and Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus believes Za’Darius Smith is the best choice for the job.
“Inserting a proven veteran option on the edge, such as Za’Darius Smith, would boost the unit,” Cameron writes. “Across his past three seasons, Smith has generated a 90.1 PFF pass-rush grade, placing him in the 93rd percentile.”
PFF: Chiefs Should Sign Za’Darius Smith
It’s easy to see how a player like Za’Darius Smith could fit with the Kansas City Chiefs. On paper, the reigning AFC champions already have two reliable pass rushers in edge defender George Karlaftis and star defensive tackle Chris Jones. However, elite teams need three above-average pass rushers, especially in today’s pass-heavy NFL.
Kansas City attempted to fix this glaring flaw last year with the Josh Uche trade, but the former second-round pick couldn’t do much of anything during his short tenure with the team. Za’Darius Smith is a more proven option, and the PFF metrics show he still has something left in his tank. While he may not have another 10-sack season in his tank, he should be more than capable of being the third-best pass rusher on this team.
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