Arrowhead Pride
In the dead of the NFL offseason, every writer feels the temptation to compile rankings of some sort.
Amid my battle with the rankings-season demon, a realization came to me: Is there anything resembling a clear answer to who the Kansas City Chiefs’ second-best player is?
When asked that way, the debate feels limited to the obvious names, so let’s add the wrinkle that sparked a strong debate among Arrowhead Pride users in “The Feed” this week:
Who is the most important player on the Chiefs after quarterback Patrick Mahomes?
My mind immediately goes to defensive tackle Chris Jones, who is both paid and built around with defensive personnel as if he were a premium edge rusher. So if Jones doesn’t produce like one —a la generating just 12 sacks over the last two seasons — the game plan and scheme on defense suddenly feel easier to question.
Jones doesn’t need high sack totals to be a difference-making game-wrecker, but the team’s investment in him naturally lessens the chances of adding proven, high-caliber teammates for him to line up alongside in the trenches.
So he either needs to tangibly elevate the players around him (stop lining up as an edge rusher and focus on destroying the front of the pocket, for starters), or turn back the clock somehow to resemble a prime Chris Jones, overcoming potential limitations in the unit around him by blowing up plays by himself constantly.
It makes him the most important non-Patrick Mahomes player for the team’s success as things currently stand, in my opinion.
Here were the best responses from our users:
K Walker is my answer. With Bienemy I think he changes everything offensively. Not that he has to be a bell cow and run for 2k yards but because the dynamic run game changes everything for our passing game. RPO, Play action has been a joke for the last few years. Run the ball and punish the defense for not respecting our OL and skill players including Johnson and Royals and Worthy to a certain extent.
I’m thinking Delane is the most important Chief not named Mahomes…If we get a near pro-bowl season from him, we will be in great shape. If you pick another DB, I won’t argue against it, but someone back there has to be a shutdown guy. Someone back there has to be able to have an individual impact on each game that makes a difference. Someone back there has to be the guy we can depend on when the other teams gameplan negates our known pass rush. Someone back there has to stand up when we need to get Mahomes the ball back.
Don’t know the name of who will play opposite Furious George, but this position is the most important on the defense. If we don’t get pressure on QBs, it will really hurt the defense making them defend much longer than needed.
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