Chiefs Defense: “Nobody’s Angels”

Chiefs Defense: “Nobody’s Angels” – Everyone and their mother love Patrick Mahomes & the dynamic Reid hybrid offensive juggernaut but, I want to focus on the defense. Before the 2019 season opened, I predicted that the Kansas City Chiefs defense would be a defense that would be ranked among the top 10 by year’s end. Almost nobody saw it coming, but I thought the talent on the roster was good enough to become a very powerful force, and it did.

I also believed that replacing the Defensive Coordinator had to be a big thing to accomplish and the Chiefs removed Bob Sutton from the equation and added Steve Spagnuolo. I felt that adding in Spagnuolo and some new coaching minds to the scheme would change the persona of the defense, and it did.

The blueprint and pieces took a significant number of games to gel and prove out but even before the week 10 loss to the Titans, the D was showing signs of putting it all together. The lone hiccup was the opening quarter of the playoff game against the Houston Texans. I was taking great gulps of “Soda” pop during that quarter, gasping for air, adding a second dose of an alcoholic mixer too boot! However, from that quarter onward, the Chiefs shut it down, the whole nine yards… and this is why we need to address the offense too, so, a “Thank Heavens” for Patrick Mahomes must be added to the chorus. [Note: my next article will take a peek at the offense]

Bring it forward to the Linebackers. I think it is a misconception to judge the play of the LB’s as awful. It wasn’t, in fact, in the flow of the season, Spagnuolo went away from using Reggie Ragland to a more deft grouping: mixing it in with disguised play. Then when Spags needed a run stopping thumper, he brought Rags back in to fulfill that purpose. Anthony Hitchens played a stronger role during the momentum to get to the playoffs and the #2 seed in the AFC. His play improved with the 4-3 base. That set the stage for the Linebacker room.

Gone is Reggie Ragland. Anthony Hitchens returns along with Ben Niemann and Damien Wilson. This threesome gives the team a strong base of experience.

Anticipating Darius Harris and

Watching for Omari Cobb

Coming back to the group is another linebacker that no one knows anything about, and that is Darius Harris, of Horned Lake, Mississippi who was a LB for the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State. This school where I always examine talent for consideration in the draft. In 2019, two Chiefs, both now UDFA’s on the Chiefs roster matched up, so to speak. Darius Harris had a very good game versus Marshall (another smaller school where I also watch for talent). On the Marshall side of the ball? LB Omari Cobb. Darius Harris will be a factor in the Chiefs LB equation for 2020. I also believe that Omari Cobb will make it to the PS, at least, in 2020. For the 2019 season, Harris was placed on the “injured/non-football related” list and missed the whole season (sound like a red-shirt season?). We don’t know what the injury was but the released information was that it stemmed from his final collegiate play preceding 2019.

Recall that the 2019 draft was deep in talent but there was a problem for Darius Harris both due to that… and that he was suffering from an injury before the combine and Pro-Days which restricted him from having new “Springtime” Metrics to add to his credentials. Here’s what I understand from measurements for him now: 6-2 3/8, 232, 4.64-to-4.66 – 40). Harris is a LB who has: speed, is hard-hitting, with pass coverage skills. This is the reason that the Chiefs signed him up… and don’t forget to keep track of Omari Cobb either.

Darius Harris Stats

Year	School	Conf	Class	Pos	G	Solo	Ast	tackles	Loss	Sk	Int	Yds	Avg	TD	PD	FR	TD	FF
*2015	Middle Tennessee State	CUSA	FR	LB	11	25	19	44	0.5	0.5	1	42	42	1	1	0		1
*2016	Middle Tennessee State	CUSA	SO	LB	13	42	32	74	8	1.5	0	0		0	1	2		1
*2017	Middle Tennessee State	CUSA	JR	LB	13	49	15	64	7.5	4.5	0	0		0	7	1	1	1
*2018	Middle Tennessee State	CUSA	SR	LB	14	49	48	97	12	5	0	0		0	4	0		2

Hawkeye Ben Niemann

I am also high on UDFA – LB Ben Niemann, a football intellect, signed from the Iowa Hawkeyes. His playing partner at Iowa, Josey Jewell, who was drafted by the Broncos told reporters that Niemann was Mr. Football, a complete linebacker talent. 2019 saw Niemann get 36% of the Chiefs defensive snaps.

Having a player who is a scholar of the game (a football coach’s son) playing with the linebacker group is a big benefit and shows that much of the game is cerebral. Niemann showed up in toughness as well and has a nose for the ball, on the ground or in the air. He is a solid player for this group.

Willie Gay: The Steal of the Draft

So now? The Chiefs perhaps drafted the most dynamic linebacker in the 2020 draft. His talent credential is extensive but the top thing to observe about Willie Gay is that he is a “Top Athlete” with speed, tackling-toughness and excellent pass coverage attributes that make you salivate when you see him on the field.

At the combine, Gay showed extremely well in speed and power categories and was 2nd overall in the Rogue Analytics master athletic combined metrics. Gay finished 2nd in the 40 times recorded for LBs and second in other categories such as the vertical and first in the broad jump.

Gay will make the Linebacking group stronger but will need a proving ground performance to be the case. I look for the defense to be in the top 5.

Cornerbacks

Most of us discount picks that fall later than round 3. In this 2020 draft though, L’Jarius Sneed was a great pick for Veach. He has proven versatility having started as a CB earlier in his collegiate career and then as a Safety, in his last season.

Not only this but he compares well with the rest of the Safeties in the draft. That versatility will fit him to the Chiefs use of CBs and Safeties, such as Spags did with Kendall Fuller in 2019.

Sneed has the physical tools finishing in the top 10 of all DB’s and Safeties at the combine — but especially take notice: He recorded a 4.37-40 and was 2nd among all players.

For me, Sneed fits what the Chiefs need and what the Chiefs do and he will be the 4th player to show significant contribution in 2020’s season in a similar manner and form to Fuller, Thornhill, and Mathieu.

Delving deeper into the Cornerback group: by adding Sneed and his versatility to the mix, you can see why I am re-appraising the secondary. The draft improves team speed for the CBs as we see opponents reacting with their own draft picks to attempt to model their offenses after what Veach and Reid have done here in Kansas City.

We worried and fretted over selecting a RB in round 1 but he is the logical match for what the Chiefs do. In round 3, the Chiefs upgraded the OL group with a versatile offensive lineman Lucas Niang, who could have been a round 1 pick.

Veach Did Not Sit on His Laurels

GM Brett Veach traded his 2021 round 6 draft pick to get back in the draft and select a CB, Bopete Keyes. This is another player who fits what the Chiefs do and what they need. Like Rashad Fenton from the 2019 draft, who was able to mold his play to the Chiefs defense, then figure in as a major contributor last year… I expect a similar effort and result from Keyes. Craig Stout, from ArrowheadPride, has graded the Keyes pick with the highest grade as you can give:

“Keyes is a long, athletic cornerback that possesses fantastic ball skills. He’s very raw and lacks some of the instincts he’ll need to get on the field for Steve Spagnuolo, but the overall profile is a slam dunk at this point in the draft. Spagnuolo has now added a lot of length and ball skills in his developmental cornerbacks, knowing that he’s got his starters. I won’t be surprised if one of Keyes or L’Jarius Sneed end up as a future starter for this Chiefs team. I would have given an ‘A’ grade to this pick in the fourth round, so this is outstanding value. Grade: A+”

Note: Kent Swanson also gave the Keyes pick an A+ while Matt Lane gave this pick an A-.

There may be a signing in the offing but the CB room is now comprised of: Breeland, Ward, Fenton, Hamilton, Brown, Sneed and Keyes. It may be a work in progress but has a high upside potential to be considered a strong group in 2021, after a prove-it year in 2020. You have to consider a lot of potential in the UDFAs like: Lavert Hill (Michigan), Hakeem Bailey (WVU), Rodney Clemons (SMU) Javaris Davis (Auburn), and Jalen Julius (Mississippi).

Signing DE Taco Charlton is exactly the type of addition that needed to be made. Players will have fresh legs due to depth. With Taco Charlton and then Breeland Speaks back in the mix, the DL will be deep and potent.

Nobody’s Angels

I don’t possibly see how the defense can take a dive. What I see a defense that can get totally nasty. A defense of… Nobody’s Angels [literary reference]. A defense with a high ceiling. A defense moving up to the match a top 5 offense. In fact, I am betting on it! Our Defense is going to be nasty, and mean, and stingy. They will be Nobody’s Angels… or men fit for the devil’s business. What do they say? A top 5 type defense in 2020?

David Bell – ArrowheadOne

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