The Kansas City Chiefs used the 2023 NFL draft and undrafted free agency to address some key roster holes, but the 90-man offseason roster is hardly perfect.
Football Outsiders’ Aaron Schatz recently examined the biggest post-draft roster holes for every NFL team in an article for ESPN. While there are clear starters at nearly every position in Kansas City, the team certainly has a few areas where they can continue to improve the team’s depth ahead of the 2023 NFL season.
Following the 2023 NFL draft, Schatz believes that the biggest roster need for the Chiefs is at the defensive tackle position.
Here’s the thing about being a championship team: You tend to have very good depth. If you’re a veteran who no longer is going to start in the NFL, why wouldn’t you want to go sign to at least share a locker room with Patrick Mahomes and get a shot at a ring? So the Chiefs have strong depth pretty much across the board. Their biggest question might be at defensive tackle.
No, not Chris Jones, but rather next to Jones. Derrick Nnadi struggled in 17 starts last season, and behind him is Tershawn Wharton (missed most of last season with a torn ACL) and Byron Cowart (former Patriots starter who played 20% of defensive snaps for the Colts a year ago and had no hurries or sacks). Veteran run-stuffer Danny Shelton is also around but spent all of last year on the practice squad. Sixth-round rookie Keondre Coburn is also an early-down nose tackle.
Cowart was released last week with the team signing Matt Dickerson & Chris Williams in his place. Neither player seems to move the needle much at the position. In fact, they’re likelier to be training camp bodies than they are to make the 53-man roster this fall.
Does a room comprised of Jones, Nnadi, Wharton, Coburn and Shelton feel complete? Wharton is expected to be ready to return from his torn ACL, but it’s tough to know how effective players will be coming off of knee injuries.
Could the team bring back a player like Brandon Williams? Could they dip into the remaining free agent pool? Shelby Harris, Michael Brockers and Chris Wormley are among the top free agents available. It’s also important to remember team does have some positional flexibility with players like Charles Omenihu and Mike Danna.
If you don’t think that defensive tackle is the team’s biggest roster need, let us know which position is on Facebook and Twitter.
