Can the Kansas City Chiefs repeat as champs with this 53-man roster?
The Kansas City Chiefs assembled one of the best rosters in the NFL in 2019, and because that talented roster was mostly able to stay healthy down the stretch, they were able to capture their first Super Bowl title in a very long time.
Now, they are on a quest to repeat as champions of the NFL, and thankfully for them, many of the players that were on the roster last year for that Super Bowl title are back for more in 2020.
The Chiefs added a stud in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft in LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, whose skill set is similar to that of Kareem Hunt, whose unceremonious departure from the Chiefs a couple of years ago left a void in the running game but obviously did not slow the Chiefs’ offense down to the point that they couldn’t contend.
Imagining the Chiefs’ offense being better with Edwards-Helaire in the mix is a scary thought, but the Chiefs’ defense will once again be critical to their success in 2020.
In the early stages of the 2019 season, it seemed as though the Chiefs’ defense would be their Achilles heel in a playoff run, but that unit turned things up quite a bit over the course of the season and stepped up to make some huge plays.
One of the best offseason additions any team made in 2019 was the Chiefs’ addition of defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, who can really do it all for them.
What will the Chiefs’ roster look like in 2020? Let’s take a crack at predicting their 53-man roster and depth chart for the upcoming season.
Quarterback (3, 3/53)
- 1. Patrick Mahomes
- 2. Chad Henne
- 3. Jordan Ta’amu
Do you think Patrick Mahomes will crack the roster?
The Chiefs are led by the young man who will be a perennial league MVP candidate. Even with a midseason injury in 2019, Mahomes was outstanding and has been the most impactful individual player on any team in the NFL since the start of the 2018 season.
Behind Mahomes right now is Chad Henne, a veteran who has started 53 games in the NFL between his time with the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Chiefs took a shot on Jordan Ta’amu from the now-defunct AAF, and I think there’s obviously a reason for that. Not that he’s guaranteed a roster spot, but Ta’amu would be a fun developmental option behind Mahomes for a team that didn’t previously have one.
Special teams (3, 6/53)
- 1. Harrison Butker (K)
- 2. Tyler Newsome (P)
- 3. James Winchester (LS)
The big battle on special teams for the Chiefs will be between punters Tyler Newsome and rookie Tommy Townsend. That is a battle that’s really going to have to play out on the field.
The Chiefs released longtime punter Dustin Colquitt this offseason so they will have a new punter for the first time since 2004.
Running back (5, 11/53)
- 1. Clyde Edwards-Helaire (rookie)
- 2. Damien Williams
- 3. De’Andre Washington
- 4. Darrel Williams
- 5. Anthony Sherman (FB)
The Chiefs’ first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft was LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and he figures to be the featured back this season even after Damien Williams’ strong postseason run for this team.
Williams has scored 23 touchdowns over the past two seasons including the playoffs, and had a whopping six. touchdowns in the Chiefs’ 2019 playoff run last year.
De’Andre Washington was brought in as a free agent from the Raiders and is a former Texas Tech teammate of Patrick Mahomes’.
Darrel Williams may seem like a longshot to some, but his mentorship of Edwards-Helaire at LSU could help his chances of making the squad.
Anthony Sherman is still getting the job done as a blocker, runner, and receiver whenever called upon for KC. More prominently, he led the team in special teams snaps last season.
Wide receiver (5, 16/53)
- 1. Tyreek Hill
- 2. Sammy Watkins
- 3. Mecole Hardman
- 4. Demarcus Robinson
- 5. Byron Pringle
If you’re a team that spreads the ball around as much as the Chiefs, you might want to have six receivers, but keeping five running backs or six receivers is an either-or type of proposition for them.
The Chiefs return their top five guys at the position from a season ago, and these five guys dominated the snaps with only De’Anthony Thomas getting even a chunk of plays (20) during the 2019 regular season.
The Chiefs will continue to ride this group and perhaps the best part about it is the fact that all of these five guys have chemistry with Mahomes now.
No one thought they would be able to bring Sammy Watkins back with his 2020 cap figure, but the Chiefs and Watkins figured things out and made it happen.
Tight end (3, 19/53)
- 1. Travis Kelce
- 2. Ricky Seals-Jones
- 3. Deon Yelder
Travis Kelce remains one of the premier tight ends in the entire NFL.
He led all Chiefs skill players in 2019 with 971 snaps played and also led the team in targets (136), receptions (97), and receiving yards (1,229).
Kelce is the other superstar in Kansas City’s offense and his athleticism, play strength, toughness, strong hands, and speed make him nearly impossible to cover. He’s posted over 1,000 receiving yards in four straight seasons and had over 800 yards in each of the two seasons before that.
It’s hard to believe this year will be Kelce’s eighth in the NFL.
He’s joined this year by Ricky Seals-Jones, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns, who caught four touchdown passes last season.
The Chiefs also return reserve Deon Yelder who caught three passes last year.
Offensive line (10, 29/53)
Tackle
- 1. Eric Fisher
- 2. Mitchell Schwartz
- 3. Martinas Rankin
- 4. Lucas Niang (rookie)
- 5. Mike Remmers (T/G)
Guard
- 1. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
- 2. Nick Allegretti
- 3. Andrew Wylie
Center
- 1. Austin Reiter
- 2. Darryl Williams (rookie)
The Chiefs already have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, but they fortified their depth up front by drafting TCU’s Lucas Niang in addition to signing Mike Remmers, who can play either guard or tackle.
Although the Chiefs’ depth on the interior offensive line was questionable last year, the additions of Remmers and undrafted rookie Darryl Williams should help.
Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz make up one of the best bookend tackle duos in the NFL and Austin Reiter filled in well for departed free agent Mitch Morse last year.
Again, notably, the Chiefs return all of their starters up front on offense and all of their starters at all 11 positions on offense from last year.
Defensive line (9, 38/53)
Defensive tackles
- 1. Chris Jones
- 2. Derrick Nnadi
- 3. Khalen Saunders
- 4. Mike Pennel
Defensive ends
- 1. Frank Clark
- 2. Tano Kpassagnon
- 3. Alex Okafor
- 4. Breeland Speaks
- 5. Mike Danna (rookie)
Chris Jones is one of the elite interior defensive linemen in the NFL, and with the looming contract situation of Patrick Mahomes, there’s legitimate concern over the Chiefs’ ability to keep him around long-term.
That won’t affect this season, however, as Jones will be back on the franchise tag for one more go-round with KC, at least.
Frank Clark turned things up as the 2019 season progressed last year and gave the Chiefs a really strong, physical option off the edge both against the run and as a pass rusher. He struggled through injuries in the regular season with eight sacks, but dominated in the postseason to the tune of five sacks and seven QB hits.
Outside of those two guys, the Chiefs have a number of key reserves returning on the defensive front and they will have some tough decisions to make with guys like Taco Charlton, Breeland Speaks, and Mike Danna. One of those guys likely won’t make the team.
Linebacker (5, 43/53)
- 1. Anthony Hitchens
- 2. Damien Wilson
- 3. Willie Gay Jr. (rookie)
- 4. Ben Niemann
- 5. Dorian O’Daniel
The Chiefs drafted Mississippi State linebacker Willie Gay Jr. in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and he should be expected to make an immediate impact on their defense with his speed and three-down ability.
He needs some coaching up, but there’s no question that he has the talent to be an impact starter right away for KC.
Dorian O’Daniel and Ben Niemann are valuable reserves and special teams players for the Chiefs who ranked second and fourth respectively in special teams snaps in 2019.
Defensive backs (10, 53/53)
Safeties
- 1. Tyrann Mathieu
- 2. Juan Thornhill
- 3. Daniel Sorenson
- 4. Armani Watts
Cornerbacks
- 1. Bashaud Breeland
- 2. Charvarius Ward
- 3. Rashad Fenton
- 4. L’Jarius Snead (rookie)
- 5. Antonio Hamilton
- 6. Bo’Pete Keyes (rookie)
Tyrann Mathieu has proven time and time again that he is one of the best defensive backs in the entire NFL.
The Chiefs’ cornerback position is easily the worst on paper on this roster, especially with Bashaud Breeland being arrested this offseason and potentially facing discipline from the league. Although, there are always two sides to every story and Breeland stood up for himself.
With Juan Thornhill recovering from an injury last season, the Chiefs are really going to have to bank on the contributions of newcomers like rookies L’Jarius Snead, Bo’Pete Keyes, and potentially undrafted rookie Javaris Davis.
They also signed Antonio Hamilton from the Giants and appear to like him quite a bit.
This group overachieved somewhat in 2019, but perhaps the newcomers can help them take a step forward in 2020.