Chiefs: 3 2022 roster holes that could cost Patrick Mahomes a Super Bowl
By KC Proctor
The Defensive Line
Already pinpointed as a primary fault in the Chiefs’ 2022 campaign, the defensive line has the most to prove as the thinnest unit on the roster. Kansas City had the fourth-least amount of sacks in the league last season with 31, and the defensive line accounted for a measly 23.5 sacks. Selecting George Karlaftis with the 30th overall pick in the draft should help, but he is a rookie being tasked with righting the ship. This is something that his counterpart, veteran Frank Clark, has been unable to do during his tenure with the Chiefs.
On the interior, Chris Jones has, at times, proven to be an elite defensive tackle. At other times, he has appeared to be completely absent. Part of his struggle can be blamed on the fact that he’s never lined up next to another bonafide pass rusher, but even so, seeing Jones lack double-digit sacks in every season since 2018 hurts. Ahead of training camp, Jones is expected to share the interior — once more — with Derrick Nnadi. Nnadi has proven an efficient run stuffer, but has never had sustained success getting after the quarterback, and there’s no one on the depth chart behind him that can help boost — or draw attention away from — Chris Jones.
Considering the experience and overall depth of this unit, missing out on improving upon the personnel in such a historic free agency period hurts. Badly. One saving grace here is that both the linebacking and cornerback corps are improved. The second level can help clean up the run game and limit opposition in the intermediate portion of the field, while the cornerbacks can hopefully buy Karlaftis, Clark, Jones and Nnadi a second or two to improve sack numbers in 2022.