Buy, Sell, Hold: Could Kansas City Chiefs Have Top Ten Defense?

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The Kansas City Chiefs have not been perfect through two games so far. Yet, this team has stood out on the defensive side of the ball right out of the gate. Traditionally, the Chiefs defense under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has mostly started slow and then finds their footing in the stretch run leading up to the playoffs. Kansas City has actually gotten out to a solid start to the 2023 season defensively, however.

This has led to discussion about what the ceiling could ultimately be for the team on that side of the ball. In the past, they have generally finished strong, in terms of points allowed at the end of the regular season. But against two dynamic offenses already in Detroit and Jacksonville, the Chiefs have only allowed a combined 23 points on defense. More importantly, the Kansas City defense has been largely incredible to start the season, when it comes to getting off the field on third or fourth down. The same could also be said about their defensive performance when opponents are in the red zone.

Could the Kansas City Chiefs have a top ten defense in 2023? What is the ultimate ceiling of this group? Today, we will discuss the potential of this Chiefs defense, while listing if we should buy, sell or hold the idea of them finishing in the top ten. Let’s kick it off.

Pressure Coming From All Angles

If you have followed the career of Spagnuolo, you know that he is not afraid to bring extra pressure from anywhere. His notorious defensive back blitzes have created both turnovers and hurried, inaccurate throws. The most impressive item though, is how well-timed Spagnuolo calls for those DB blitzes. It just seems to always catch opponents off guard. And with the speed of the Chiefs defense, especially at defensive back, quarterbacks really have to speed up their internal clock.

In just his first game back after his holdout, Chris Jones already registered 1.5 sacks. As it turns out, he really did not need training camp. Kansas City’s best defender has made quick work of blockers with his hand technique and swipe moves. With his short area quickness at his size, Jones truly has a chance to match last year’s sack total for himself with a steady pace.

Finally, other defensive linemen have started out 2023 with a bang. It was not like there was a lack of any hope for this Kansas City defensive line. But outside of Jones, they entered with very limited starting experience. So far, George Karlaftis, Mike Danna and even rookie Felix Anudike-Uzomah have created a fair amount of pressure to open the 2023 season. If that continues, the Chiefs defense will be just fine against even the best of offenses around the league.

Airtight Secondary

For years under Andy Reid, the Chiefs defense rarely had any true depth in the secondary. And despite the youth in that area, those Kansas City defensive backs have already proved to be wise beyond their years. L’Jarius Sneed has been a do-it-all defender and can have success from aligning at any spot. His versatility is so critical for someone like Spagnuolo, given how he utilizes the secondary.

Elsewhere, the younger trio of cornerbacks like Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams have continued to make strides in short periods of time. McDuffie may arguably already be the second-best Chiefs defender. His understanding of spatial awareness and ball tracking ability allows him to stay in position to make a play on any pass. Even with his perceived lack of length, McDuffie has been a solid fit in Kansas City’s heavy man coverage scheme.

Williams and Watson have become more comfortable when needing to stay in phase with receivers. Early on, this pair relied a bit too much on contact. But as time has gone on, Williams and Watson have each reacted with more control against route breaks and counter moves. Add in the physicality and instincts of safeties like Justin Reid and Bryan Cook, and there are rarely moments that the Chiefs defense is found out of position or lost in coverage anymore.

Staying Afloat In The Middle

After the retirement of Derrick Johnson, the Chiefs had been searching for a new hammer to lean on for making an impact in the dirty areas. Nick Bolton has already become one of the best young linebackers in the league. His coverage skills are the only glaring weakness of the Missouri product. Though, he has started to improve in certain moments in that area. All told, Bolton has been a wrecking ball for the Chiefs defense the last couple of years. He simply punishes anything that comes near his path. And for the most part as a downhill thumper, Bolton is able to give Kansas City immense momentum.

Beyond Bolton, the Chiefs defense had the potential to be deep at the linebacker spot this year. Willie Gay and Drue Tranquill each have the range, instincts and coverage skills to live in space at all times. Gay has made some improvements when playing the run and working downhill. For Tranquill, there appears to be a great amount of versatility that he offers, giving Spagnuolo a plethora of options for which to utilize him. Throw in the physical Leo Chenal, and the Chiefs defense now has a strength at this spot.

For a stretch, Kansas City was a laughingstock at linebacker. Opponents were dominating with their running game, due to the weakness that the Chiefs had up the middle. Now, this group is not just able to provide resistance. The middle of the Chiefs defense can be called upon to give their team a jolt.

Efficiency On Crucial Downs, In Vital Areas

In the first two games of 2023, the Chiefs defense has held opponents to very little success on third or fourth down. Jacksonville was just a combined three of 14 on third or fourth down this past Sunday. Not to mention, the Jaguars failed to score a touchdown in the red zone on three attempts. They were held to only three total field goals for their overall scoring. Back up to the opening night game against Detroit, the Lions were only a combined six of 18 on third or fourth down.

When you think of a prior Chiefs defense, you just did not see as much confidence in these crucial downs or vital areas. That is not to say that this current Kansas City defensive unit is going to come through 100 percent of the time. It just does not work that way. Nevertheless, this Chiefs defense is now an area that can be relied upon. They were the difference in the Week 2 win over the Jaguars. And as good as they were, this group has shown that they can continue to make further strides. Even if you are not buying that Kansas City could be a top ten defense, you cannot completely sell that notion off. If the Chiefs defense is truly a top ten unit in 2023, that should be seen as scary for a team that is led by Patrick Mahomes at quarterback.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.