2018 Chiefs Defense Expectations

[West 6,713]

Defensive Depth Chart: Source Arrowhead Pride*

Position

Starter

Backup

3rd String

RDE

Allen Bailey

Breeland Speaks

 

NT

Derrick Nnandi

Xavier Williams

 

LDE

Chris Jones

Rakeem Nunez-Roches

Jarvis Jenkins

ROLB

Dee Ford

Breeland Speaks

 

RILB

Reggie Ragland

Ukeme Eligwe

Dorian O’Daniel

LILB

Anthony Hitchens

Terrance Smith

 

LOLB

Justin Houston

Tanoh Kpassagnon

 

LCB

Kendall Fuller

Tremon Smith

 

RCB

David Amerson

Keith Reaser

 

Nickel

Steven Nelson

   

SS

Eric Berry

Eric Murray

 

FS

Armani Watts

Dorian O’Daniel

Leon McQuay

 

* Its a guess that is interesting to look at...It is certainly not written in stone....

 

 

As we go into 2018 and the roster has taken shape, have the Chiefs done enough to improve the Defense?

 

No question it is a younger more athletic group. That said, can it be "good" or will it just continue to hold the team back?

 

w

[oldtimer 8,686]

if we are in the 15-20th range  I think we will be good enough to win the division..that is IF the offense  lives up to most expectations

 

 but that wont win us any playoff games

[Fmbl2187 2,279]

Young is good for enthusiasm and aggression and reduced number of injuries (availability), but it is bad for mistakes, including penalties.  Look for a LOT of teeth gnashing penalties that cost us big time this year.

[ClarksvilleChief 193]

Isnt Nacho gone? can he really be a backup? Just sayin

[Biggjliv4 1,292]

Look for a LOT of teeth gnashing penalties that cost us big time this year.

So just like last year lol

[Marleydawg 60]

Assuming health (I know, I know), they're going to be better at S and LB.  Probably a push along the DL?  No Marcus Peters means they'll be less talented at CB, but it would be hard for them to be worse as a unit next year.  

[FANATIC 852]

Well then there is a ball control offense strategy to keep the defense off the field. Nope. Score fast and then faster looks like the formula.

 

Defense should be a little better based on expecting a better pass rush. Lack of pressure killed KC last year. 

 

Will teams run if down by two scores consistently? Not likely. So pressure will win or lose the day.

[Fmbl2187 2,279]

So just like last year lol

 

Maybe worse.  Growing pains.

[Fmbl2187 2,279]

Well then there is a ball control offense strategy to keep the defense off the field. Nope. Score fast and then faster looks like the formula.

 

Defense should be a little better based on expecting a better pass rush. Lack of pressure killed KC last year. 

 

Will teams run if down by two scores consistently? Not likely. So pressure will win or lose the day.

I'm not so sure.  From the reports at OTA's, interviews with the players, and all the RB's they brought in, it looks like they are going to protect Mahomes as much as possible while he is learning how to play under center and use a lot of short passes to backs.  That sounds like a ball control strategy (for at least parts of each game or against teams with ball hawking defenses).

[Mloe68 1,521]

The addition of Breeland Speaks, a year of seasoning for Tanoh and hopefully a healthy Dee Ford leaves some legit hope the pass rush will improve and maybe quite a bit. The secondary is RAZOR thin on depth. I think we will be better there if those three corners all stay healthy. But man could it go south fast back there fast with any significant injury. I still expect a 1 year band aid pick up by Veach in training camp or potentially another trade to bolster this area. If Berry is healthy the group is better period. A lot of IF and hopes in the secondary right now but it's not a group without some real talent either. Dline looks about the same too me. ILBs look better today than they did a year ago. Should be much better vs the run and O'Daniel should be able to upgrade the nickel LB role in coverage. 

 

All in all I expect a better defense but it still looks very much like Veach needs another full offseason to get talent level where we need it. 3 picks in the top 50 next year should help. I think much like breaking in Mahomes that the defense is being geared toward a legit window of Super Bowl contention in 2019. 

[Adamixoye 604]

Assuming health (I know, I know), they're going to be better at S and LB.  Probably a push along the DL?  No Marcus Peters means they'll be less talented at CB, but it would be hard for them to be worse as a unit next year.  

 

^This

 

Hard to go anywhere but up overall, I think, loss of Peters notwithstanding.

[DieHard 2,061]

Sutton has produced some top five defenses in points allowed with less talent. It was last year when we could not get any pressure when things fell apart. We will be better, but will still struggled. The secondary is razor thin as someone pointed out and that will hurt. There is not a lot of talent there when healthy.

 

Ford is Ford. He doesn't bring anything from the right side. If Speaks or Kpass can get the starts and get pressure. And if Houston returns to form, we could easily have a good scoring defense. We will be in the late 20s for total defense I think, but could be the heavy pressure, turnover machine of pre-last year. I don't see that happening yet, but it could.

 

I agree with the poster who said we need one more offseason to get right on D.

[Mloe68 1,521]

Sutton has produced some top five defenses in points allowed with less talent. It was last year when we could not get any pressure when things fell apart. We will be better, but will still struggled. The secondary is razor thin as someone pointed out and that will hurt. There is not a lot of talent there when healthy.

 

Ford is Ford. He doesn't bring anything from the right side. If Speaks or Kpass can get the starts and get pressure. And if Houston returns to form, we could easily have a good scoring defense. We will be in the late 20s for total defense I think, but could be the heavy pressure, turnover machine of pre-last year. I don't see that happening yet, but it could.

 

I agree with the poster who said we need one more offseason to get right on D.

Amazing thing is we gave up 15 points or less in five of the last six games leading up to clinching the division title last season.  As much as people hate Sutton, he deserves credit for figuring out what a limited defense could do and sticking with it. Problem is much like this year any key injury reshuffles the deck completely because of the lack of depth. 

[Chiefswinitall 60]

FS Dorian ODaniel?

[xen 1,010,220]

Personally i think the defense is much better if the corners hold up (big if, i know). The new personnel seems better suited for defending the pass out of the 34 and for defending the run out of the 2-3-6, the two aligments sutton likes to run the most. We couldn't do either last year.

 

Throw O'Daniel and Hitch (O'Dorien in the big safety role) in the 23 and you might be on to something without having to drop the OLBs so much.

 

On paper the pass rush looks to be vastly improved just in the simple facts of numbers and they sucked so hard last year it's impossible not to improve.

 

Don't be surprised if Armani Watts is the starter at single high. Not that he's ready but i think he's got a lot of potential to replace some Marcus Peters turnovers. And we have jack shit at that position.

[dksww 484]

I just can't see us going into the season this short on CB.

 

Surely they will bring someone in to try and help.

 

I'm really worried about the CB position, but at the same time it's really the only position I have any concerns about and that seems weird for a team with this much turnover this past off season.

[Legend of AC 269]

I just can't see us going into the season this short on CB.

 

Surely they will bring someone in to try and help.

 

I'm really worried about the CB position, but at the same time it's really the only position I have any concerns about and that seems weird for a team with this much turnover this past off season.

Nice of you to crawl out from under your rock, lol.

[dksww 484]

Nice of you to crawl out from under your rock, lol.

Lol ya, just not much to talk about until training camp imo.

[dhitter 1,424]

With so much turnover it's really hard to know what this defense will look like come week 1 against real competition. One part of me says we got a lot younger and more athletic but the other side of it is we lost a lot of experience. I'm willing to trust Veach and his ability to pick the right players to fit this defense and Sutton to mold them and prepare them. To me it really boils down to improving the pass rush. That will help take pressure off our young corners. Can't wait to see who steps up.

[Fmbl2187 2,279]

Can't wait to see who steps up.

 

One of the post OTA articles yesterday suggested that it might be KPass.  I loved that quip a couple of weeks ago about his arms being so long, he can scratch his ankles standing up. Besides the rush, that could help him cover the edges or even bat down some passes no one else could.  We'll see.

[sith13 1,746]

Right now this seems to be the defense of "IFs". We have way too many conditions for it to be great or even decent. Unlike offense a couple mistakes can break a team and with so many youngsters on board I"m pretty sure we'll see quite a bit of those. I think we can see some improvement on the field but the scoreboard may not reflect that or might even be worse for this year. 

[Fmbl2187 2,279]

True.  That's why we play the games.

[TomahawkChop 255]

I may very well be falling into my regularly scheduled homer trap, but I am starting to think this defense will be significantly better than the 2017 version. I see several comments about youth being the main reason for skepticism regarding performance, but outside safety, there shouldn't bee too much youth compared to 2017. Amerson and Fuller are roughly the same age as Peters and Gaines. The d-line starters appear to be vets - barring a draft pick beating one of them out - which would be a good thing if they showed enough to beat out a vet. Linebacker got younger, but no rookies. Eric Berry is back, so that strengthens the safety position regardless who starts alongside him.

 

Frankly, he more I look at he 2018 defense I see much more athleticism and toughness than last years group. Almost nowhere to go but up. I'm not naive enough to believe there will be no growing pains or breakdowns, but am coming around to the idea that we could see significant improvement by seasons end.

[xen 1,010,220]

Meh. I don't think it represents homerism to think they'll be better. They were literally the worst. They could be 27th this year and be better. They'd still sick in that case but you know... that's still an improvement. This rebuild will require some drafting luck and a few years to get turned around.

[dhitter 1,424]

Meh. I don't think it represents homerism to think they'll be better. They were literally the worst. They could be 27th this year and be better. They'd still sick in that case but you know... that's still an improvement. This rebuild will require some drafting luck and a few years to get turned around.

Two of the defensive players we drafted this past year need to develop into starter material fairly fast. Probably needs to be Speaks and one other (take your pick). I'll go with Watts.

 

Don't know what we will get out of Hitchens or Kpass or Dee Ford or Eric Berry....just too many ???. Worst case secenario, rookies don't develop and Hitchens and Fuller struggle. Amerson is what he was last year and not the year before. Berry isn't his former self and Ford is injury prone. Best case scenario...younger more athletic defense plays better than expected and Chiefs defense is middle of the pack which would be a vast improvement. I can see either scenario happening.