Three Questions: Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Line
By Ben Nielsen
Dec 8, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali (91) celebrates after sacking Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (not shown) during the second quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Will Tamba Hali see more time on the defensive line?
The drafting of Dee Ford presented an interesting problem for the Chiefs: How do you get your three best pass rushers on the field at the same time?
One way the Chiefs may try to do that is to shift Hali to defensive end and have Ford play next to him as the outside linebacker. While this wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) be a permanent change, it does provide an interesting opportunity to improve the pass rush on the defensive line in certain passing situations. It also adds another element of depth to the Chiefs defensive line.
How many snaps this translates into may depend on the development of Dee Ford in the running game. The quicker Ford figures out how to stop the run, the bigger the chance a move to defensive end for Hali becomes more permanent.