The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off of a Super Bowl, and heading into 2020, there is no reason to believe they don't have a great shot of repeating.
Of course, a repeat is something that hasn't occurred since the New England Patriots did it during the 2004-05 campaign, so it's difficult, but if anyone can win back-to-back championships, it's Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Kansas City has an immensely talented roster (particularly on the offensive end) and should once again run away with the AFC West division.
But who are some other potential breakout players on the Chiefs' squad?
Here are three names to watch for:
3. Demarcus Robinson, Wide Receiver
Demarcus Robinson was actually one of the more interesting names on the free-agent market earlier this offseason, with some surmising that he would land a pretty big deal somewhere.
Instead, Robinson opted to return to the Chiefs on a one-year pact.
Here's the thing with Robinson: he is fairly far down the totem pole of Mahomes' targets. There is Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins and probably even Mecole Hardman and Damien Williams. Then Robinson.
But this dude is so explosive that I had to include him on this list.
This past season, Robinson logged 32 catches for 449 yards and four touchdowns, with a big chunk of that production coming in Week 2 when he tallied six grabs for 172 yards and a pair of scores.
If he can gain more of Mahomes' trust, he has an outside shot of becoming Kansas City's No. 2 receiver in 2020.
2. Juan Thornhill, Safety
Juan Thornhill had a terrific rookie campaign, finishing with 58 tackles, three interceptions, five passes defended and a defensive touchdown. However, in Week 17, he tore his ACL, knocking him out of the Chiefs' Super Bowl run.
Thornhill is expecting to be ready to go for Week 1, which is great news. Of course, how effective he will be remains to be seen, but this kid has Pro Bowl potential.
There is a reason why Kansas City used its second-round pick on Thornhill last spring. He does basically everything you want in a safety, and along with Tyrann Mathieu, he helps comprise one of the best safety duos in football.
I would not be the least bit surprised if Thornhill returned and paved his way to a Pro Bowl next season. The University of Virginia product is really, really good.
1. Mecole Hardman, Wide Receiver
The Chiefs love speedy receivers, so when they saw a potential Tyreek clone in Hardman on the board in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, they jumped at the opportunity to draft him.
Some saw Hardman as an immediate bust-out candidate, but he actually was fairly limited this past season, catching 26 passes for 538 yards and six touchdowns.
But like Robinson, Hardman made the most of his opportunities, demonstrating his explosiveness by averaging 20.7 yards per catch and also racking up 704 kick-return yards as well as a score.
Hardman's special teams prowess earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl, which may make his inclusion on this breakout list seem a bit peculiar. But I am expecting more from Hardman in terms of his receiving ability in 2020.
With a year of experience under his belt, look for the 22-year-old to get more targets from Mahomes and become a much bigger threat in Kansas City's aerial attack.
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