These three players will define the 2024 season for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs return a lot of players on their roster from last season. However, there are a few key positions that will have fresh faces when the Chiefs set out to become the first back-to-back-to-back champions in NFL history. Here are three key players heading into the 2024 season.
Wanya Morris and/or Kingsley Suamataia, Left Tackle
Left tackle is one of the most important positions in football. For the Chiefs, it’s the second most important. Protecting the best quarterback in the league is priority number one for the front office and coaching staff. In 2024, the starting left tackle will either be a second-year player that started four games last year or a rookie who is it thought to be a bit more of a project than a year-one starter.
Wanya Morris showed flashes of being a solid starter last season when he replaced an injured Donovan Smith late in the regular season. He also showed flashes that made the Chiefs use a second round pick in this year’s draft on another tackle. Kingsley Suamataia has the traits and upside of a very good starting left tackle. It will just be a matter of how quickly he is able to get his footing and turn that upside into reality. No matter who ends up getting the nod in week 1, they will have earned it.
Whoever Wins The Cornerback Job
L’Jarius Sneed left the biggest hole to fill from last year’s team. The fourth-year cornerback played in 16 games (sitting out the meaningless Week 18 games) and was one of the best defensive backs in the entire league. He held opponents to just 51-percent on passes thrown at him and allowed just 4.8 yards per target. Someone will have to step up in a major way to try and replace what he brought to the defense.
The most obvious choices to fill the void are Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams. They got the most playing time behind Sneed and Trent McDuffie last season and have the most in-game experience of the group. A couple under the radar options are Nazeeh Johnson and Kamal Hadden. From the sound of it, Johnson was on track for significant playing time last season before he tore his ACL during training camp. Now that he’s healthy again, he could easily get right back in the mix for the starting job. Hadden was just a sixth round pick in this year’s draft, but he has the skills and ability to be a potential impact player right away. After all, Sneed and Williams were both fourth round picks and Watson was a seventh round pick. The Chiefs have a knack for hitting on late round defensive backs.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Defensive End
Last year’s, the Chiefs first round pick was used sparingly as a rookie, appearing in just 20-percent of defensive plays. However, nearly all of his reps came when Charles Omenihu was out (Weeks 1-6 during his suspension and Week 18 when he rested). That will likely be a factor again this season, as Omenihu is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered during the AFC Championship.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah profiles as a good complement to the other pass rushers that the Chiefs deploy. While Chris Jones uses power and George Karlaftis relies on his relentless motor, FAU uses speed as his main weapon. Having guys who can win in different ways will keep offensive linemen on their toes and often times off balance. Having more than two pass rushers that you can put on the field and trust to make plays is huge for any defense, so Anudike-Uzomah has a chance to play a huge role for the 2024 Chiefs without starting a single game.
