After failing to reach a long-term deal last summer, the Chiefs franchised tagged Orlando Brown Jr.. If they're not willing to make him the league's highest-paid offensive tackle, they could look to replace him with the versatile and experienced Matthew Bergeron.
Chris Jones is essentially the Chiefs' pass rush. McDonald has been highly productive for the Cyclones — he has at least five sacks in four straight seasons and double-digit sacks in two of the last three — despite playing out of position for most of his collegiate career. He's an explosive, instinctive pass rusher, who I anticipate will see a boost in his draft stock after the Senior Bowl.
Duncan is a fifth-year senior who flashes a ton of ability and athleticism, but needs to become more consistent, especially in pass protection sets. A proportionally long-limbed athlete (6-foot-6, 320 pounds), Duncan competitively establishes leverage by extending his lengthy arms and maintaining his balance with adequate knee flexibility. Duncan will get the chance to improve his draft status after receiving an invite to this year's Senior Bowl.
The Chiefs need another talented, cheaper contract at wide receiver. Downs can provide that along with Kadarius Toney as the Chiefs continue to figure out what their future looks like at the position.
First-round rookie defensive end George Karlaftis notched 5 1/2 sacks in his final seven games, but there's always room for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to build out his pass rush. So long as Smith's recovery from a season-ending torn pectoral muscle is on track, the 6-3, 235-pounder should be an enticing option for any team willing to be creative with his deployment.
Back-to-back first-round edge-rushers for the Kansas City Chiefs may be considered going overboard by the organization. However, the progression of the roster is dependent on finding capable pass-rushers to maximize the Chiefs' defensive effectiveness.
"The Chiefs have the opposite problem as their AFC West rival, the Las Vegas Raiders," Holder noticed. "Unlike Las Vegas that has Maxx Crosby working off the edge with little-to-no help at defensive tackle, Kansas City has a great interior pass-rusher in Chris Jones but the Chiefs have struggled to get edge pressure.
"Frank Clark has underproduced over the last few years and the Chiefs can gain $19.6 million in cap relief by cutting the defensive end. By pairing Notre Dame's Isaiah Foskey with George Karlaftis, the duo can provide great support to Jones."
Foskey leaves Notre Dame as the Fighting Irish's all-time leader in sacks. While the statistic doesn't date back to the program's glory days, it's an an impressive accomplishment nonetheless.
The added benefit of landing another quality edge presence is the fact Kansas City has the caliber of offense to consistently play with the lead, which will allows these defenders to pin back their ears and get after opposing quarterbacks.
Both of the Chiefs' starting tackles are scheduled to be free agents and their play was less than elite this year. They need invest in protection for quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
As hard as it may be to believe, Travis Kelce is going to be 34 years old next season. At some point, his play has to drop off. And athletes like Musgrave don't come along every draft class. He'll get to learn from the best to ever do it while also allowing the Chiefs to deploy a unique 12 personnel look.
