Safety may not seem like as big of need as corner with the return of Eric Berry to go along with Ron Parker, but the bottom line is that the Chiefs used a TON of three safety packages last year and right now that third safety would be Daniel Sorensen who is a great special teams player but not a guy I want on the field on defense on a regular basis. Plus, if the Chiefs find themselves short at cornerback again they may be forced to play Ron Parker in the slot at times like they did last season.
If they do that then they are another man down at safety and depth there becomes essential. I would LOVE for them to bring Husain Abdullah back if he’s healthy, but the lack of any buzz of him signing or even visiting with anyone has to make you wonder if the concussion that ended his season last year could be a lingering problem. Simply put, the Chiefs have to find another starting caliber safety somewhere before the season begins.
So who’s out there? If we assume the Chiefs aren’t going to spend big on Eric Weddle, there are still some solid veterans out there like Reggie Nelson, Rashad Johnson, Walter Thurmond, and William Moore. When it comes to the draft everyone and their dog agrees that the top prospect is Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey who may go in the top five picks.
After that there doesn’t seem to be a consensus number two player. It’s entirely possible that some of the candidates for that second best safety will be on the board when KC picks in the second round. Some of those players include Ohio State’s Vonn Bell, Duke’s Jeremy Cash, Boise State’s Darian Thompson, Florida’s Keanu Neal, and West Virginia’s Karl Joseph. Regardless of who it is the Chiefs must add another quality safety before the season starts.
Next: Checking on the big uglies