Nobody should be arguing that the Kansas City Chiefs’ roster is at the level of the 2022 team that won Super Bowl LVII.
That was probably the most well-rounded roster in the era of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Tight end Travis Kelce was still in his prime, the draft was an absolute gold mine and the offense adjusted schematically to what opposing defenses were presenting.
This team might not be that, but it might not have to be.
The AFC isn’t what it was at that point, either. It seems the entire conference
is more balanced, or forgiving, than it was a few years ago. Blemishes might not be exposed as often or as easily. That’s important because it feels as if every AFC team features some pretty significant blemishes, Chiefs included.
This roster is judged more harshly than its peers. It should be. The expectation is Super Bowl or bust.
Does the roster pass the test? We won’t know the true answer until the season plays out, of course. But some recent ESPN breakdowns suggest the roster is good enough to make it out of the conference once again.
Jeremy Fowler recently completed his annual breakdown of the top-10 players at each position across the league.
The Chiefs had seven players represented.
- #2 Quarterback – Patrick Mahomes
- #9 Running Back – Kenneth Walker III
- #10 Tight End – Travis Kelce
- #3 Interior Offensive Lineman – Creed Humphrey
- #7 Interior Offensive Lineman – Trey Smith
- #4 Defensive Tackle – Chris Jones
- #8 Off Ball Linebacker – Nick Bolton
It’s worth noting that seven is the most players represented on these top-10 lists by any team in the AFC. The only other conference foes with at least five players represented were the Houston Texans (6), Denver Broncos (5) and Baltimore Ravens (5).
Maybe one list is too small a sample size, even if it is created based upon the opinions of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts. Fair enough.
For those not convinced of the strength of this Chiefs roster, let’s also utilize Bill Barnwell of ESPN’s recent piece breaking down every player in the NFL worth at least one first-round pick in a trade.
As an aside, the entire column is worth your time, but for the purposes of this column, we’ll break it down in a “Cliff Notes” version.
The Chiefs, according to Barnwell, have seven players worth at least one first-round selection in a trade: Patrick Mahomes (seven first-round picks) and Mansoor Delane, Creed Humphrey, Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, Josh Simmons, and Trey Smith (all worth one first-round pick).
The article’s idea was not to suggest that any of these players will be traded, but rather to take a deep dive into each player’s value.
Included within that value are a player’s age, contract, position, off-field makeup and overall on-field performance. Maintaining a starting lineup with seven players worth at least a first-round pick is no small feat.
The total is, once again, the most of any team in the AFC for this exercise.
For context, Kansas City’s conference opponents have the following number of players worth at least one first-round pick, per Bill Barnwell of ESPN:
6 players
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Texans
- Broncos
5 players
4 players
The NFC is, unsurprisingly, more loaded in this regard:
7 players
6 players
None of this is to suggest the Chiefs’ roster is infallible. The receiver position is a legitimate question mark. The secondary, as well, with inexperience that could be magnified by the lack of a meaningful difference in effective edge pass rushing compared to a year ago.
But there are also reasons to believe in each of those positions if you’re inclined to do so.
Rashee Rice, when healthy and not suspended, has been a highly productive player for the Chiefs. It’s okay to believe in Xavier Worthy’s long-term outlook as a No. 2 receiver.
Sixth-overall pick Mansoor Delane should come in and provide exactly what the organization fawned over about him in the post-draft reaction.
A welcome, simple switch will have Chamarri Conner in his natural position (safety) instead of an unnatural role that exposed him as lacking man-coverage, slot-cornerback skills.
The depth along the defensive line gives me comfort, even if the specific answers along the edge do not.
There are reasons to believe. This is not your traditional roster construction for a dynastic Chiefs team. Excluding the long-time All-Pro pillars of the roster, the best players are on the offensive line and at running back. I think the change in identity comes with some added scrutiny.
We’ll see if it works out, but if ESPN’s analysis and league-survey results tell us anything, it’s that the demise of Kansas City’s roster might be greatly exaggerated.
