The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the most complete rosters in the NFL, but their ugly Super Bowl loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed there's still plenty of room for improvement in order to get back to the mountaintop.
Below are three options to help the Chiefs hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy again.
1. Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame
Recency bias is real. The memory of seeing Patrick Mahomes run for his life in the Super Bowl is still fresh in people's minds. Had the Chiefs had their starting offensive line for the big game, then the final score would have been different.
Kansas City made the tough decision of cutting the offensive tackle duo of Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz. The two are very skilled and have been solid on the field. Fisher has two Pro Bowl selections, while Schwartz has been an All-Pro four times. Unfortunately, both sustained serious injuries last season and have and will continue to miss significant time.
The interior of the line has been shored up with the addition of guards Joe Thuney and Kyle Long. The front office also brought in tackle Mike Remmers. The ranking of tackle prospects varies wildly outside the presumed top three of Oregon's Penei Sewell, Rashawn Slater from Northwestern, and Virginia Tech's Christian Darrisaw.
With all of this said, offensive tackle is still a massive hole for the Chiefs and one that can be plugged by Liam Eichenberg.
He is quite lean for the position at 6-foot-6, 308 pounds, but his frame suggests that it can still be filled out significantly. Eichenberg displays excellent technique, especially in pass protection. Eichenberg is a polished prospect and should be ready to start on Day 1. He has the versatility to slide inside to guard if needed. Eichenberg is a good athlete and during run plays can make an impact at the second level of the defense.
There are not too many flaws in his game, and the primary reason he is still probably available at the 31st spot is the depth and quality of the offensive tackle prospects.
2. Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State
Dillon Radunz has a similar build to Liam Eichenberg and is a well-rounded offensive lineman. Radunz is a technically sound operator and is refined in the way that he plays. His run blocking is not as good as his work in the passing game, but it is by no means a weakness.
The question that prospects from small schools, like Radunz, must face is whether they can excel against elite competition. Based on his record, signs indicate yes.
3. Ronnie Perkins, DE, Oklahoma
Edge defender may not seem like a huge need, but the Chiefs had difficulty generating pressure with their front four. This is where Ronnie Perkins comes in.
He is a powerful athlete, whose speed and flexibility make him a matchup nightmare for blockers. Perkins plays physically and has a lean 6-foot-4, 250-pound frame. He is one of the better run defenders at the position and should see plenty of one-on-one matchups with offensive linemen worrying about Chris Jones and Frank Clark.
His technique needs some improvement and should add more moves and countermoves to his arsenal.
Perkins may feel like a reach, so if Kansas City can find a way to trade down, they should do so.
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