Chris Jones, Derrick Johnson among 2017’s biggest disappointments for Chiefs

Biggest Disappointment: Cornerback rotation

For me this is the biggest disappointment for the Chiefs this year because it was, again for me, a glaring issue before the season started.

Yes, the Chiefs had reason to believe that they already had an answer in house for the outside cornerback spot across from Marcus Peters. Phillip Gaines was healthy and motivated in a contract season. Terrance Mitchell had come out of nowhere to play well down the stretch the previous season. Steven Nelson had played bigger than his smaller stature to rotate outside on several occasions.

Through it all, however, all of those were also question marks. Nelson was good inside in his first full NFL season, so why mess with a good thing? Mitchell was a journeyman who failed to stick for a reason for years before he signed and starred with the Chiefs. Gaines had been inconsistent for years, so can you really lean on him.

Ultimately, the Chiefs decided to not take a single defensive back until their very last pick in a draft that was loaded with playmakers in the secondary. At the time, I was among the vocal minority begging for first or second round help at both pass rush and the secondary instead of making a move for Patrick Mahomes. I certainly hope I’m wrong and Mahomes is the franchise QB down the stretch, but it’s hard to not think about what might have been had the Chiefs taken T.J. Watt and Chidobe Awuzie, for example, in the first two rounds. [Matt Conner]