Tanoh Kpassagnon named Chiefs best defensive breakout bet for 2018

If Pro Football Weekly is right, the Kansas City Chiefs might just have the answer to their pass rush in the development of second-year linebacker Tanoh Kpassagnon.

It’s possible for a rookie to make an immediate impact in the NFL, even from the very first game. Anyone who watched Kareem Hunt in the Kansas City Chiefs season opening victory over the New England Patriots knows that much, as the heralded rookie out of Toledo set an NFL record with 246 total yards from scrimmage in the Chiefs win. Yet those sorts of performances and seasons are rare. After all, every rookie must make significant adjustments as they enter the professional level.

It’s in a player’s second year in the league that they can really make a huge leap forward. Many young players will mention how the speed of the game has slowed for them, which basically means that not everything looks so intimidating. The higher level of athleticism all around has become normalized. The playbook has become ingrained, so there’s less mental distractions. A player’s physical instincts can kick in after a learning curve of the rookie campaign.

Pro Football Weekly recently made a list of the best breakout candidates for each team’s defense for this very reason, knowing that it’s in this second year that players can really step forward in their development. If PFW is correct, the Chiefs may finally have their answer at pass rush with the prediction that Tanoh Kpassagnon could be the man.

Kpassagnon was last year’s second round choice, sandwiched between Patrick Mahomes and Kareem Hunt, so it should be clear from even his draft position in a rich draft class what the Chiefs thought of him. Former GM John Dorsey had high hopes for him, although he also knew the Villanova product would take significant time and effort and coaching up to reach his potential.

Kpassagnon had 14 tackles and 2 sacks in very limited duty throughout the season, drawing a start in the final game in Week 17. That little amount of playing time speaks to the leap Kpassagnon had to make in terms of competition as well as technique and learning to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. He’s still learning the position, but Chiefs coaches recently spoke highly of his progress and his future in the NFL.

As for breaking out, Arthur Arkush of PFW believes Kpassagnon’s overall package and timing is ripe for him to really make a difference this season. The Chiefs need someone to emerge across from Justin Houston in the team’s defense as a reliable pass rushing threat. Dee Ford could be that player if he can stay healthy after missing several games with a back injury last year. Breeland Speaks was the team’s second round player this year, a heavy edge expected to make the same positional change as Kpassagnon. Arkush writes:

"With vines for arms (35 3/8 inches) and unusual speed and twitch for a 6-foot-7, 280-pounder, the Villanova product could be a defensive coordinator’s dream."

The difference between reality and “dream” at this point remains substantial, but there’s a reason you term a player as a “breakout” candidate—as they literally move from one point to another and make a significant leap forward in progress.

Next: Chiefs UDFAs and their roster chances

Speaks might be too green, and Ford might be too one-dimensional at this point, which mean Arkush could be right. If so, Chiefs Kingdom will be quite happy for yet another home run pick in the 2017 draft.