Chiefsville: A Front Four Blessed by Chesterfield – About 3 weeks ago I wrote about about Khalen Saunders and then added in reparte a quote from a query to Ryan Tracy which was added to a brief reference last week. If you recall, he said that he envisioned Saunders in a 3 or 5 tech role and there is good reason for that. As for my part, the size of Saunders will lend itself to an inside role as well, when One-gapping the offensive center.
First Off: Khalen Saunders
Khalen Saunders is more of a fit for KC and will have more immediacy in his game snaps very quickly than most anticipate. The more I research him, the more film I watch, the more I see a very good fit for the Chiefs base 43 looks.
The way I see it he is going to automatically fulfill the #2 LDT behind Chris Jones. I think personally, due to body type, that he is a fit for the 1 gap left or right as well but here we have to see it in play.
Saunders plays from a low position of gravity, is a spark plug rusher and a fire hydrant defender at 325 pounds and 6’1″ and this is why I think Saunders very quickly makes an impact from snaps early on. True, he has penetrator ability as well. If he lines up opposite Jones? That might give us a very effective alternate pair of pass rushers from the inside. Keep in mind I wrote about Derrick Nnadi improving steadily over 2018’s season as well so, I think the mix of players for the front four is going to be very strong.
A Front Four Depth Chart
This is how I envision the Chiefs Front four:
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- RDE: Frank Clark & #2 RDE Emmanuel Ogbah
- LDE: Alex Okafor & #2 LDE Breeland Speaks
- RDT: Derrick Nnadi & #2 RDT Khalen Saunders
- LDT: Chris Jones & #2 LDT Xavier Williams
I see a lot of strength in this mix of 8 players which includes pass rush strength from Clark outside to Chris Jones inside but keep in mind with Clark, you will be seeing the double team so Okafor’s impact on getting after the QB is going to step forward. If Derrick Nnadi is out of the gate improved, as I believe he will be in 2019, the Chiefs front 4 look just got a lot more powerful.
I like the ability to mix and match players who are stout defenders for slots and gaps and I like to ability to field a “Go Fast” Front 4 as well. That can be a nifty mix of players. If I want a spark plug in the middle I have 3 very good fits in Xavier WIlliams and Derrick Nnadi. If I want pressure and speed, I add in Khalen Saunders. Similarity, I mix and match with four men outside (noted in the depth view above).
Saunders: How Chesterfield Earns its Stripes
Khalen Saunders brings his total heart and soul to the turf and leaves it all on the field. Taking a few peeks at High School stuff doesn’t tell us much but Nate Taylor did just that in an article he wrote for the Athletic on Saunders who came out of Chesterfield, Missouri Prep to collegiate play at Western Illinois University.
He is one of those players who is almost a tweener which could have kept him out of pro football except he never has let his size and weight be an inhibitor. He plays the game straight up and has the stature to mix it up even if he gives up a bit of height.
Saunder’s Highlight Reel
If you want to see why Saunders fits the Chiefs, up front you need to see the highlights and there is a good review of this, here:
You will notice he comes from different positions on the field and gets after the ball in the backfield, whether it’s a pass rush or a run play defense. He anticipates well, finds a good angle and goes at it 100% full bore. In the video highlights above, you will see play that is similar to that of Chris Jones and Derrick Nnadi. He may be a penetrator but he is very stout as well so I can envision the Chiefs using him for the 1-tech type work at times also.
It was thought that if a smaller school player did well at the Senior Bowl that he would move himself into a day 2 selection which is exactly what Saunders did. He had a dominating Senior Bowl. We also know that the Chargers were taking a hard look at Saunders as well.
It is difficult to transition to a 4-3 base defense from a 3-4 but that is exactly what the Chiefs have done in this offseason. We could rush the passer and get sacks but I don’t think this is the most important aspect of a pass rush. I want the front to bother the QB every passing down. I want to see expected numbers of hits, hurries and knockdowns increase. The Chiefs in 2018 ranked well in the “Sack” category but it was QB hurries and knockdowns where they appeared weak then the fact that our secondary played poorly. It was a fact as well that the LB corp did not do its job either.
I have a high hope that Khalen Saunders addition to the mix of defenders has us all witness his penetration skills that you can see from watching the highlight film. I do think his role will be one of impact early on in the 2019 season. Should that be the case, the Chiefs front four is going to be a critically acclaimed and that person who named the Saunders highlight reel, “The Aaron Donald of the FCS,” will have been right. Now, go look at the film and you should tryout out the “Athletic,” as Nate Taylor and Seth Keysor are doing some masterful stuff for the Chiefs via that venue.
Nate wrote about Saunders for the Athletic on Saturday and observed what rookie Punter Jack Fox said about DT Khalen Saunders:
“I sent it (the video of Saunders backflip at the Senior Bowl practice) to all my friends back in high school on our big group chat,” Fox said. “They were like, ‘Who’s this guy?!’ I then sent them the Hudl video. My friends now text me and ask me what kind of guy he is, like, ‘Is he still that athletic?!’”
Fox was eager to find the answer since his career and Saunders’ have intersected again — this time as teammates with the Chiefs. Less than a week after the Chiefs selected Saunders in the draft, the team signed Fox, who became one of the best punters in the country at Rice, as an undrafted free agent.
Fox and Saunders enjoyed reminiscing about their lone game against each other” Fox said:
“I told him he beat our asses and there was nothing we could’ve done about it,” Fox said. “He’s a really nice guy, and he was laughing about it.”
Okay, I do know this
Some one came out and gave his reel a name, the Aaron Donald of the FCS for 2019. Let’s hope that is the case. Any man at 325 who can do a backflips is going to get meaningful, impactful snaps in my not so humble opinion. Put that in the book.
PS: Jack Fox, the next KC Punter?
David Bell — ArrowheadOne
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