Quarterback: New England
The Patriots are led by none other than the greatest “system” quarterback of all time. Tom Brady has done everything asked of him. He’s broken records, won Super Bowls, made everyone around him better. He cemented his GOAT status in the Super Bowl last year with that incredible comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons.
The Chiefs have Alex Smith.
Running Back: Kansas City
No Jamaal Charles, no Spencer Ware, no problem. If C.J. Spiller was the only back in Kansas City, the advantage would still go the Chiefs way here. Lucky for the Chiefs, they have high expectations for rookie Kareem Hunt, and Charcandrick West is still effective.
The Patriots rely on the likes of Dion Lewis, James White, and Mike Gillislee. Tom Brady can make each of these guys look better than they are, but none pose a real threat in the running game itself.
Wide Receiver: New England
If I were grading names on paper I would have split on this decision. Consider this bonus points for Tom Brady.
Kansas City doesn’t have a Brandin Cooks on its roster, however New England doesn’t have a Tyreek Hill on theirs. The main difference when grading this group was the man throwing them the ball.
If Tom Brady was throwing to Hill and Chris Conley and De’Anthony Thomas the Chiefs would have an extremely fearful receiver group. So with that in mind, the Chris Hogans and Danny Amendolas of the world appear to be decent targets to throw to.
I believe there is more talent hidden within the Chiefs receivers, but Brady influenced the grade for me.
Tight End: Split
Globally, a healthy Rob Gronkowski is the best tight end in football. Health concerns keep the gap between he and Travis Kelce marginal. If this was a fantasy football piece I would tell you to pick Kelce before Gronk. This is not a fantasy football piece. Travis Kelce and Demetrius Harris, along with Ross Travis coming along nicely, are as good as Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen. Surely.
Offensive Line: Kansas City
It was hard to find myself leaning one way or the other here. Both lines are respectable in their own rights. Neither are a top 5 group though. The Patriots offensive line has one heck of a pair of bookends in Nate Solder and Marcus Cannon. The depth drops the overall grade here however.
The Chiefs have a squad going on its second full year together. Eric Fisher is redeeming himself from his first couple years in the league. He has made excellent strides at getting better each of the past couple seasons.
Mitch Morse is perhaps the most underrated center in football. A healthy Parker Ehinger combined with Bryan Wittzman and Laurent Devarney-Tarnif solidify the Chiefs depth on the line. There are a lot of question marks, but the potential of this group is huge.