Locked on Chiefs: State of Kansas City’s defense

The Kansas City Chiefs have had a steady off-season on the defensive side of the ball. As they begin the second week of OTAs they may need to bolster what’s the offseason has given them.

The Chiefs made few changes to the defensive lineup this offseason. The draft yielded them no potential new starters in 2017. Staying healthy will be key to their defensive performance in 2017. Currently, there are few areas to look at with concern.

The outside linebacker group it is again one with the elite potential that still has drastic questions to answer.

Can Justin Houston return to his previous level of play? After missing parts of the last three seasons, the Chiefs are banking on his return to his prior dominance on the field. If that should not come to fruition, the number two and number three pass-rushers, unfortunately, have question marks as well.

Dee Ford admitted last week that changing sides of the field was at least part of the issue for him down the stretch of last season. Ford will be relied on to be the bookend to Houston and would need to become the primary pass rusher if Houston is unable to play at any point in 2017.

Tamba Hali, after a reduced role in 2016, looks to be a situational pass-rusher at best in 2017. With the recent release of Tourek Williams, it appears Frank Zombo may once again have to be relied on.

The team is also banking on the continued development of Ramik Wilson at the inside linebacker spot next to Derrick Johnson. They’re relying on Johnson to be able to return to his prior performance after recovering from another Achilles rupture. If either is unable to perform, it would logically be Justin March who next gets the call. Unfortunately, March has had little playing time in the regular season and continues to be a player that is raw and in need of serious development.

The second level of the Chiefs defense, which has produced three Pro Bowl players in recent seasons, will be one of the groups to watch in the lead-up and in training camp. The team is taking a gamble on its existing roster and they hope that it will pay off.

"Like what you hear from the Locked on Chiefs podcast? Get it direct. Subscribe on iTunes or on AudioBoom"

Locked on Chiefs is a daily podcast show that drills down to the bottom line and will give you a 360-degree view of the Kansas City Chiefs. Take a few minutes to hear about your Chiefs each day. We’ll cover the offseason, the draft and all the way to the Super Bowl and want to cover the topics you want to hear about. So reach out to us on twitter @LockedOnChiefs with questions and for up to the minute analysis and episode information.

Thanks, Addicts!