Fansided

3 sleepers Chiefs drafted who could become stars

By Russell S. Baxter

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 16: Noah Gray #87 of the Duke Blue Devils makes a catch against Evan Foster #9 of the Syracuse Orange during the first half of their game at Wallace Wade Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 16: Noah Gray #87 of the Duke Blue Devils makes a catch against Evan Foster #9 of the Syracuse Orange during the first half of their game at Wallace Wade Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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TALLAHASSEE, FL – OCTOBER 20: Defensive End Joshua Kaindoh #13 of the Florida State Seminoles during the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on October 20, 2018 in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State defeated Wake Forest 38 to 17. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL – OCTOBER 20: Defensive End Joshua Kaindoh #13 of the Florida State Seminoles during the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on October 20, 2018 in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State defeated Wake Forest 38 to 17. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

The proud franchise waited half-a-century to get back to the Super Bowl. And now the Kansas City Chiefs have made consecutive trips to the Big Game.

A funny thing happened to the Kansas City Chiefs on their way to repeating as Super Bowl champions this past season. Down their starting offensive tackles, Patrick Mahomes and company were limited to three field goals and blown away by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-9, at Raymond James Stadium.

It was a humbling experience for a team that had sported the league’s best record (14-2) in 2020 only to be humbled on Super Sunday. Those aforementioned tackles, Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, are no longer with the team. And thanks to free agency and a big trade, Andy Reid’s team has a new look on the offensive line (via Charles Goldman of ChiefsWire.com) thanks to general manager Brett Veach.

For the fourth time in six years, the Chiefs did not select a player in the first round. But that doesn’t mean the reigning AFC champions didn’t snare some quality talent to add to their stacked roster.

3 Chiefs draft picks who are sleepers to become stars

3. DE Joshua Kaindoh (Florida State)

A resurgent Chiefs’ defense that keyed the club’s 2019 second-half run and postseason venture on the way to a Super Bowl title began ’20 strong. But this same unit waned down the stretch this past year and wasn’t nearly as sharp during the playoffs. The pass rush managed only 32 sacks, led by Chris Jones (7.5) and Frank Clark (6).

This offseason, the team added Seahawks’ castoff Jarran Reed to help on the inside. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein felt Florida State defensive end Joshua Kaindoh was worthy of a seventh-round projection but Kansas City tabbed him in the fourth. Surrounded by Jones and Clark, could his potential finally turn into production?

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