The Kansas City Chiefs are a young team with a lot of talent so it stands to reason that there is an under the radar player currently on the roster that could have a breakout season in 2013.
I put together a list of candidates I think could take the NFL by storm this season. Let’s take a look at the candidates.
1. Dexter McCluster
McCluster is talented but his career with the Chiefs has been a bit of a disappointment so far. Injuries and size issues have kept McCluster from making a big impact but so has an impotent offense and poor QB play. If McCluster is going to shine in any offense, it is under Andy Reid.
Will Dex be the new head coach’s weapon of choice in 2013?
2. Jonathan Baldwin
Baldwin possess all of the physical tools to be an excellent possession receiver in the NFL but his two years with the Chiefs have been a huge bomb. Baldwin has flashed his ability in practice and has been reportedly working hard the last couple of offseasons. Can he make the jump in his all-important third-year in the league or will he join a long list of first-round busts?
3. Dontari Poe
Poe, like Baldwin, has tremendous physical tools. As a rookie, the big NT was average at best and certainly didn’t live up to his high draft stock. Defensive lineman, particularly ones as big and physically gifted as Poe, are often reached for by NFL personel men. The fact that Poe hasn’t lived up to where he was drafted doesn’t mean he is a bust just yet. Can Poe make good in 2013 by becoming a force in the middle of the Chiefs’ defensive line?
4. Tyson “Tin Man” Jackson
Speaking of defensive lineman that were taken too high, I’m adding Tyson Jackson to this list. After a pitiful rookie season, “The Tin Man” actually developed into a solid run defender in Romeo Crennel’s 3-4 scheme. The knock on Jackson has always been his poor pass rushing skills. Near the end of 2012, the Chiefs began leaving Jackson in on passing downs and he actually nabbed a couple of sacks. Will switching to Bob Sutton’s one-gap system finally help Jackson be more disruptive?
5. Alex Smith
Some might argue that Smith doesn’t belong on a list like this but I disagree. Smith has been very solid his last two seasons under Jim Harbaugh but if Andy Reid continues to run his offense similarly to the way he did in Philadelphia, Smith could end up throwing the football more than he ever has during his NFL career. If Smith can be as accurate and careful with the football in Reid’s system as he was in Harbaugh’s, the Chiefs could have their first Pro Bowl QB since Matt Cassel made it in 2010.
What do you think, Addicts? Will any of these players have a breakout year in 2013?