Identifying Kansas City's Biggest Strengths, Weaknesses After Draft
Every NFL team's goal is to find ways to get better, find the final pieces and build a complete football team going into organized team activities (OTAs) and eventually training camp.
Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid accomplished a lot this past weekend in the NFL draft, finding potential starters and even players who can add depth and contribute right away if they do well in OTAs, training camp and the preseason.
Though the Chiefs got better this weekend after a strong free agency and a solid draft from this past weekend, there is still some room for improvement.
In this slideshow, we will point out Kansas City's strengths and weaknesses and how that will impact the team in 2015.
Strength: Running Backs
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The Chiefs may have the fastest set of running backs in the NFL in Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis and De'Anthony Thomas. All three have taken either a punt or kickoff return for a touchdown at some point in their careers, showcasing their breakaway speed.
That breakaway speed has also been featured on offense.
Obviously, Charles primarily gets most of the touches among the three running backs. But when Charles is inactive or comes out for a couple of plays, Davis has been a serviceable player. While he got more touches and his yards per touch went up, his yards per carry remained the same, and he committed one more fumble than he did his rookie year, finishing with four fumbles in 2014.
Despite seeing limited time on offense, Thomas, who sees some action as a wideout, still made the most of his opportunities. He ran 14 times for 113 yards and a touchdown while gathering 269 yards off 37 touches.
With all three running backs now having at least one year of experience under their belts, it is fun to imagine how much potential this group has as it can do a lot of damage and gain plenty of yards against opposing defenses.
Weakness: Right Tackle
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Out of all five of the offensive line spots, right tackle is the only glaring hole. Donald Stephenson may be the primary right tackle going into the season, but he remains a big unknown going into his fourth season.
The Kansas City native and former Oklahoma Sooner has been available for every game his first two years since being drafted in 2012. Going into the 2014 season, knowing the offensive line took a huge hit losing Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz in free agency last year, Stephenson was expected to be one of the leaders up front.
But he received a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. In his return, Stephenson played very little, never starting a game.
If Stephenson does not live up to expectations, he may be a casualty after training camp or replaced by Jeff Allen midseason.
Strength: Interior Linemen
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The Kansas City Chiefs scored big this offseason, adding some muscle to the offensive line. The Chiefs acquired two-time Pro Bowl left guard Ben Grubbs in a trade with the New Orleans Saints, signed former Arizona Cardinals right guard Paul Fanaika while drafting a versatile lineman and likely the new center in Mitch Morse out of Missouri.
Grubbs and Fanaika each allowed just one sack last year, while Morse, an underrated lineman, was a viable blocker as a Tiger.
It is uncertain if Fanika will start over Zach Fulton, a sixth-round pick who started every game as a rookie last year.
Either way, the Chiefs have a reliable core of interior blockers and will give quarterback Alex Smith more time in passing plays.
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Weakness: Pass-Catcher Outside of Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce
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The addition of wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was highly anticipated as he will team up with tight end Travis Kelce to form a strong wide receiver-tight end duo.
Both players will make the other, sometimes allowing the other to get open in space, when defenses have to pick their poison.
But out of all of the wide receivers and tight ends behind Maclin and Kelce, Smith does not have plenty of options.
Albert Wilson showed some flashes late last year, proving he has potential to be a No. 2 wideout. Jason Avant has plenty of familiarity with Reid's offense, making him a candidate as a wide receiver opposite Maclin. The Chiefs also drafted Chris Conley in the third round, who is going to be part of the offense as well.
Tight ends DeMetrius Harris, Richard Gordon and James O'Shaughnessy, drafted in the fifth round on Saturday, may not be the answer, and it is doubtful that one of them can equally fill in for Anthony Fasano.
We know Smith will be passing to Charles a lot, as well as other scatbacks on the team, as highlighted earlier in this slideshow. Maclin and Kelce will be the top two targets. After that, it is uncertain who else can step up and come through in the passing department.
Strength: Pass Defense
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I could have easily broken up this slide into two separate ones, one for the pass-rushers and one for the defensive backs. But the group has come together, playing really good defense, and I thought the unit should be mentioned together.
Outside linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston have easily formed the best pass-rushing duo in the NFL as both have been voted into the Pro Bowl in each of the last three years. During that span, Hali and Houston combined for 69 sacks, terrorizing opposing quarterbacks and helping Kansas City have one of the best pass defenses in the league.
After finishing 21st in the league against the pass in 2012, the Chiefs improved to seventh in 2013 and jumped to second last year after facing plenty of elite quarterbacks.
Dee Ford saw little action as a rookie last year, but he showed he was worth taking in the first round, collecting 1.5 sacks, all split sacks.
Nose tackle Dontari Poe is a huge part of Kansas City's defense as he has a hand in helping Hali and Houston succeed.
As Hali and Houston lead a strong front seven, the defensive backs have their work cut out. A strong pass rush always helps cornerbacks and safeties.
The Chiefs have Husain Abdullah at safety, while re-signing Ron Parker and adding Tyvon Branch this offseason. Sean Smith is an underrated cornerback and had played very well last year. Phillip Gaines, who was taken in the third round last year, had a solid rookie campaign.
The Chiefs added a talented corner in Marcus Peters in the first round, while also taking Steven Nelson in the third round to provide more depth.
It should also be noted that Eric Berry may play if he is cleared.
Overall, the Chiefs are bound to improve from their second-ranked pass defense and will improve in sacks (outside of Hali and Houston) and takeaways as a team.
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