The Kansas City Chiefs are the 2022 NFL champions. The team’s epic 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57 gives Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid two titles in four years. That is certainly the beginning of a dynasty, but it’s not a dynasty yet. To get closer to that magical D-word, the franchise has to get to work addressing its biggest needs. This means using the Chiefs draft and signing Chiefs free agents to address the biggest Chiefs offseason needs on both sides of the ball. Here are those needs and what players the team might consider to address them.
The Chiefs' biggest offseason need on offense is weapons
The Chiefs won the Super Bowl this season as a result of a risky gamble. Seeing that the team couldn’t pay everyone long-term, general manager Brett Veach and company made a crucial decision.
Last Cheifs offseason, the franchise decided it could pay Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones big money. The odd man out in this scenario was Tyreek Hill. The speedy wide receiver is one of the most dangerous players at his position in football, but the Chiefs rolled the dice that they could get by without him.
That left the Cheifs with a lot of draft picks — which turned into 10 rookies on the Super Bowl roster — and a derth of superstars at the wide receiver position.
That gamble paid off, and the Cheifs won the Super Bowl with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson, and Kadarius Toney at wideout.
This group won’t be back in full next season as Smith-Schuster and Hardman are Chiefs free agents. Plus, the team can save $7 million next season by cutting Valdes-Scantling.
If those three veteran WRs do leave, that gives Mahomes an outside pass-catching corps or Skyy Moore, Justin Watson, and Kadarius Toney. Moore and Toney are young and promising first-round picks who could make a leap to become a true No. 1 WR in the next season or two.
However, both are somewhat similar in size and skill set at 6 feet or under. And the best WR groups are like a basketball team. They include players of all shapes and sizes. That is why this Chiefs draft in 2023 is a good time to address this burning Chiefs offseason need.
Jalin Hyatt from Tennessee, Jordan Addison from USC, and Rashee Rice from SMU are a few names to keep an eye on for the Chiefs on draft day.
You can never have too many pass-rushers in the NFL
Last Chiefs' offseason they committed a premium pick (No. 30 overall) to the pass rush with Purdue’s George Karlaftis coming in. The rookie excelled this season leading his young peers in pass rush win rate and racking up 6.0 sacks.
And the Chiefs' pass rush as a whole had a phenomenal season. The team was second in the NFL in sacks with 55, a number that may have led the league in many years. However, with the Philadelphia Eagles' historic 70-sack season, that number came in at two.
Elsewhere on the defense, the team really committed to the secondary last Chiefs offseason. The 2022 season saw a rookie safety (Bryan Cook) and three rookie cornerbacks (Trent McDuffie, Joshua William, and Jaylen Watson) see significant time in the secondary. Rookie Leo Chanel also played a significant role in the linebacker group as a first-year player.
This leaves the biggest Chiefs' offseason need as defensive line.
This summer, the Chiefs need to keep stocking the position. While Karlaftis and Chris Jones have two spots along the defensive line locked down, there are two more that could be up for grabs. The Chiefs got decent production at DT from Khalen Saunders and DE from Frank Clark However, Saunders is better as a rotation piece in the long run, and the team can save $21 million by cutting Clark.
That means the Chiefs draft and Chiefs free agent targets should include defensive linemen. On the free agent front, there are some big-name defensive tackles potentially available. Eagles DT Javon Hargrave and Washington Commanders DT Daron Payne headline the list of available players.
On the Chiefs' draft front, they could use a first- or second-round pick on another edge rusher to rotate in with Karlaftis and Clark or replace Clark if he gets cut. If that is the case, keep an eye on players like BJ Ojulari from LSU, Andre Carter II from Army, or Nolan Smith from Georgia.
If the Cheifs can find a partner for Chris Jones on the inside and a long-term opposite for George Karlaftis at defensive end, the franchise will have addressed its biggest defensive need and will be set for next season.
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