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4) With the offense’s uncharacteristic struggles in 2023, Steve Spagnuolo’s defense was crucial in the title defense, including the Chiefs’ dominant pass rush, which finished second in the league with 57 sacks. All of the starters in that D-line group are set to return, some with new deals, but depth is a bit of a question after Charles Omenihu tore his ACL during the AFC Championship Game. Standard recovery timelines indicate it’s unlikely he returns early in the season, opening the door for other players to take on a greater role and potentially make an impact. Last year’s No. 31 overall pick, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, could be one such option to step up. It’s admittedly a more low-stakes problem than those facing other NFL teams, but in a search for a third straight Lombardi Trophy, ensuring quality depth in every area is crucial.

SPEED: XAVIER WORTHY, CHIEFS

Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle both received consideration here, but when you break the NFL Combine record for the 40-yard dash (4.21), Xavier Worthy is the obvious choice. Worthy is fast on a track, but it also shows up on the football field.

During his time at Texas, he routinely outran the fastest defensive backs in the Big 12 and made them look silly. Now that he is paired with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, we will be able to see that speed used on a weekly basis in Kansas City.

3: WR Marquise Brown, Kansas City Chiefs

Contract Average Annual Value: $7 million

Latest Contract: 1 year, $7 million (expires after 2024 season)

The Kansas City Chiefs’ incredible run of success has made it easier for them to sign ring-hungry veterans to below-market deals.

The team has been making the most of its perennial contender status in negotiations and leveraged it again this offseason by signing Marquise Brown to an incentive-laden one-year contract that will cap out a still-reasonable $11 million if the wideout reaches them all.

The 27-year-old was one of the biggest steals of the 2024 free-agency signing period. He could have cashed in with a long-term contract worth up to $15 million per season elsewhere, but he opted to take a short-term deal to help Patrick Mahomes and Co. chase an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl.

CB Nazeeh Johnson

Early in camp last year, Johnson was competing for a starting spot in the Chiefs’ talented secondary before suffering a torn ACL in his right knee, ending his season before it started. He returned to the practice fields in the spring and had impressive reps, even splitting time with the rest of the projected starters.

If Johnson does well and is available for the Chiefs’ season opener, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could have as many as nine rotational contributors in the secondary.

Stephon Gilmore

Once upon a time, Stephon Gilmore was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and Chiefs fans would have loved to have seen him donning the red and yellow. While Gilmore isn’t that same kind of talent anymore, he’s coming off a respectable 2023 campaign with the Cowboys.

Gilmore’s PFF grades from 2023 are pretty good with him receiving an overall grade of 74.4 and a coverage grade of 72.3. Speaking of PFF, they projected him to receive a one-year deal worth $10 million in the offseason but Gilmore is still waiting to sign with someone.

With L’Jarius Sneed off to Nashville, the Chiefs could use some help at cornerback and maybe they could be the someone Gilmore signs with.

Offensive tackles: Broderick Jones, Steelers; Wanya Morris, Chiefs

Most of the NFL’s best offensive tackles were taken in the first round of the draft and those players tend to start immediately. Since rookies are not a part of this equation, the pickings are slim. Jones allowed five sacks on 378 pass blocking snaps as a rookie last season, according to TruMedia. The former Georgia Bulldog saw time at right tackle last season but will return to left tackle where he played in college. Combined with the arrival of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who facilitated the improvement of multiple offensive linemen during his time in Atlanta, Jones could be on the brink of an outbreak.

Morris has shown NFL talent since his time at Tennessee but his career has been defined by inconsistency to this point. A right tackle at Oklahoma, Morris will now compete with second round pick Kingsley Suamataia for the starting left tackle position. The lack of urgency to sign a veteran in free agency suggests that Kansas City may have more confidence than the general public in protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blindside. Last season, the third round pick was beaten on 4.9% of 223 pass blocking snaps, according to TruMedia.

Ryan Fitzpatrick gives his prediction for Chiefs’ 2024 season | Chiefs Wire

The Chiefs had many doubters during last year’s troubles on offense but still managed to win a third Super Bowl in five years. The prospect of winning three Super Bowls in a row is the burning question everyone has an opinion on, including Fitzpatrick.

“I think it will be extremely difficult, but I doubted Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes last year, so I learned my lesson,” Fitzpatrick said. “I will never doubt those two. It was amazing that they were able to pull off what they did last year to win the Super Bowl. I wouldn’t have them as the favorites, but I can’t doubt them because they’ve already made me eat crow once.”

Around the NFL

“There’s been conversations back and forth,” Prescott said, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “But for the most part, for me, as y’all know, I’ve been letting my agent do that — especially as we get right here into training camp. Day 1 of training camp, my mind flips to just, obviously, helping my team and just doing everything I can within the organization and on the football field to make sure that I’m my best and everyone around me is their best.

“The money and all that will take care of itself, as it always has.”

Prescott signed a four-year, $160 million contract with Dallas in March 2021. The deal included no-trade and no-tag clauses. Without an extension, the quarterback is set to have a $55 million cap hit in 2024.

The team announced Tuesday that two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Josh Allen is changing his last name to Hines-Allen to pay “tribute to Joshua’s maternal side of the family and the other relatives who have worn ‘Hines’ and ‘Hines-Allen’ on their jerseys.”

Hines-Allen’s sister, Myisha Hines-Allen, plays for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. Sisters Kyra Hines-Allen (Cheyney University) and LaTorri Hines-Allen (Virginia Tech, Towson) also played college basketball. In addition, Gregory Hines, Josh Hines-Allen’s uncle, was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 1983 after a Hall of Fame career at Hampton University, while another uncle, Keith Hines, played basketball at Montclair State.

“Legacy is forever, and I’m proud to carry that tradition on the back of my jersey, following in the footsteps of my family, who have donned the Hines-Allen last name with so much pride and joy,” Hines-Allen posted to Instagram on Tuesday.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs News: NFL brass acknowledge Chris Jones in ‘class by himself’

To come up with the rankings, Fowler polls the NFL’s top executives, coaches and scouts to create positional rankings. Kansas City Chiefs running back Isaiah Pacheco was named an honorable mention in the initial column released Monday.

The Chiefs’ Chris Jones leads the way when it comes to defensive tackles:

1. Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 2

Age: 30 | Last year’s ranking: 2

Jones stamped his first No. 1 in a major way, earning nearly 80% of the first-place votes. He once stole votes from Donald, and is now in a class by himself.

Jones ranks first in the 2024 field in pass rush win rate for defensive tackles (19.6%), and the 29 incompletions created by his pass rush ranked tied for second among defensive tackles.

“His size and consistent dominant effort is just so hard to block,” an NFL executive said of Jones. “He’s such a mismatch because of how long and strong he is, and he can win from every spot — edge, over center, in the B gap.”

Jones leads all defensive tackles with 35 sacks over the past three years.

There are several reasons why Chiefs general manager Brett Veach opted to break a trend of not committing to players around the age of 30 when he signed Jones to a multi-year contact extension back in March. Fowler hits on a couple of them.