The offseason gave theKansas City Chiefs fans plenty of reasons to ask what came next. Familiar faces departed, established defensive starters found new homes, and the Chiefs placed significant responsibility on players who had yet to take an NFL snap.
Four games later, the Chiefs enter their bye week at 4-0. That makes the changes easier to embrace, but an undefeated record does not automatically give every offseason decision an “A.”
The better question is whether Kansas City improved the roles it needed
to improve through outside additions and the development of players already on the roster — and whether the early production supports the risks Brett Veach took.
We talked about the offensive changes yesterday. Let’s look on the defensive side:
Secondary: A major gamble is showing encouraging returns
Losing Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Bryan Cook in the same offseason raised legitimate concerns.
Kansas City responded with a combination of youth and experience: first-round cornerback Mansoor Delane, veteran safety Alohi Gilman, and the return of L’Jarius Sneed, alongside second-year cornerback Nohl Williams taking on a larger role.
Delane has provided the most compelling early evidence. The sixth-overall pick intercepted Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix in the opener and has recorded 20 combined tackles and three passes defended across three appearances. His shoulder injury interrupted that debut and cost him the game against the Indianapolis Colts, making his availability part of the evaluation.
His willingness to tackle is particularly encouraging. Delane recorded 10 combined tackles in each game against the Miami Dolphins and the Las Vegas Raiders. Our own Nate Christensen’sfilm review against the Raiders highlighted his ability to set the edge and prevent explosive runs, adding value beyond his coverage assignments.
Williams belongs in that evaluation, too. Kansas City’s plan depended in part on developing a cornerback already in the building. Through four games, he has recorded 15 combined tackles, four passes defended and a sack. Those contributions deserve attention when grading how the Chiefs handled the departures of McDuffie and Watson. The offseason bet was to trust the previous year’s investment to take another step.
Gilman, meanwhile, has recorded 17 combined tackles and a pass defended through four games. With Chamarri Conner making his season debut against Las Vegas, the safety rotation is still taking shape.
There is enough here to feel better about the transition. There isn’t enough to declare that the Chiefs have fully replaced everything McDuffie, Watson, and Cook provided.
Early grade: B
Defensive front: Promising pieces, unfinished work
The departures of Charles Omenihu, Mike Danna, Derrick Nnadi and Leo Chenal removed experience from several different defensive roles. Kansas City addressed the front by adding Khyiris Tonga and drafting Peter Woods and R Mason Thomas.
Those moves should be evaluated together without pretending they were direct, player-for-player replacements. Chenal’s departure also put the spotlight on an in-house option: Jack Cochrane. Kansas City re-signed Cochrane in March, and he was listed as a defensive starter against Las Vegas alongside Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill. His place in the lineup illustrates another part of the offseason plan: retaining a familiar player and trusting him at linebacker. That decision deserves its own evaluation as the season continues, including how the group handles the defensive and special-teams responsibilities Chenal left behind.
Woods has recorded nine combined tackles and a pass defended through four games. Thomas has four combined tackles and one sack, which came in the season opener.
Those totals do not justify calling either player a finished product. They also don’t tell the whole story.
Against the Raiders, Thomas was credited with eight pressures, including five in the fourth quarter. That is meaningful evidence of disruption even though Thomas did not finish with a sack.
The next step is turning those opportunities into more drive-changing plays. Woods must continue developing his influence inside, while Thomas needs to make his pressure production repeatable.
The investment makes sense. The early results offer reasons for optimism, but this group still has more to prove than the backfield.
Early grade: C+
An encouraging start, with more to prove
My overall early offseason grade is a B+.
Walker remains my pick for the biggest addition, while finding a solid contributor at left tackle in undrafted rookie Benson represents another significant offseason win. Delane and Williams have provided encouraging returns at cornerback, and Thomas has shown why the Chiefs invested in his pass-rushing ability.
On the departure side, Washington Commanders linebacker Leo Chenal is the player I believe Kansas City misses most, particularly in its base defense and on special teams. That’s why the overall grade remains a B+: the Chiefs have made meaningful upgrades, but some of the roles left behind still need convincing answers. The remaining questions involve consistency, availability and whether the depth can handle a larger workload.
The McDuffie trade also deserves patience. Kansas City received four draft picks, including the No. 29 selection used on Woods and a 2027 third-rounder. You can’t settle its full value after four games.
For now, the Chiefs have won while introducing substantial change. The next stretch will reveal how much of that success their newcomers can sustain—and whether an encouraging offseason becomes the foundation for another postseason run.
