Kansas City Chiefs: 5 offseason needs

1. Help at inside linebacker

With the Chiefs decision to let fan favorite Derrick Johnson hit free agency they are now one linebacker short. Not only are they one middle linebacker short, but they lose one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL. Johnson ranked first out of 51 linebackers in yards allowed per coverage snap, according to Pro Football Focus.

General manager Brett Veach has been very aggressive in improving the defense since he took over the job last offseason. He added Reggie Ragland and Kevin Pierre-Louis via trade last season, and Ragland only got better as the season went on. It looks like he will be the Chiefs linebacker of the future, and he definitely looks the part.

As for Pierre-Louis he had moments where he struggled. Ukeme Eligwe had very limited playing time at linebacker in his rookie season, and it’s unclear how much the Chiefs will use him next season.

Next: Houston Texans: 5 offseason needs

The value of Johnson can’t be understated, and it’s going to be extremely hard to replace him. The Chiefs will do their due diligence not only at the middle linebacker position, but across the entire defense.

Kansas City’s offense is essentially set with Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. If the Chiefs can fill their needs this offseason it could be another great season for the kingdom.