How the Kansas City Chiefs second-year players could make a leap forward

Many NFL players make a considerable jump forward in their growth curve from their first to second seasons. Will the Chiefs see such growth from the class of 2018?

Every year in the NFL, the lion’s share of fan optimism and media hype goes toward the incoming rookie class, the various selections gleaned over NFL Draft weekend as fans look forward to seeing how each and every new import fares against not only internal competition but the upcoming regular season slate.

What’s lost in the buzz over new rookies is the reality that, first, most of them will not amount to anything on the field because of the steep learning curve and, second, last year’s rookies are the ones ready to make the leap. Every year, the NFL is filled with sophomores who make a tremendous leap forward. They’ve got a full year under their belt. They have a foundation of experience upon which to build. They have been through their first full offseason with their respective franchise. The game has likely slowed down, which means the natural instincts and abilities for which they were drafted can begin to really show themselves.

That means that as much as we want to project great things for Mecole Hardman or Juan Thornhill in the weeks and months ahead, we should likely spend much more time considering what last year’s rookies have to bring to the table as they make the proverbial leap in 2019.

Here’s a closer look at the players who are a position to be second-year contributors and the ways in which they could really make a leap forward.

BREELAND SPEAKS

Round: 2

What We’ve Seen: Speaks was largely considered a reach by analysts and fans alike during the 2018 NFL Draft, after Brett Veach traded up to take him at No. 46 overall. Speaks failed to perform like a Top 50 talent, but he also deserves a pass as a fish slightly out of water. Despite the fact that Veach was selling him as an impact talent from Week 1 and that he could thrive in a 3-4, the reality is that Bob Sutton’s scheme was not an ideal fit for his size and talents.

Even with those caveats, Speaks still didn’t look the part and failed to impress on any consistent level despite playing in 16 games and making four starts for the Chiefs in 2018. Pro Football Focus placed him squarely within their “average” category and eye tests told the same story.

What We Could See: Speaks is going to suffer from much of the same negative blowback as Eric Fisher. Speaks certainly wasn’t close to being a first overall pick, but he and Fisher were both the first respective picks of the team’s general manager and both got off to fairly slow starts. Both were also projects, and Chiefs fans should only hope that Speaks turns into the silent, steady performer that Fisher has become.

Specifically in his second season, Speaks has the chance to turn into a real surprise as a versatile performer along the defensive front. The team loves Speaks’ non-stop motor and that sort of consistent urgency along the trenches paired with greater familiarity with the speed of the professional level could allow Speaks natural disruptive instincts to emerge. As a rotational body, he could be the sort of spark plug inserted at key moments to really frustrate an opposing quarterback.

The pressure is off of Speaks to start for the Chiefs in a Super Bowl year given the presence of Frank Clark and Alex Okafor (among others). Yet the potential is there for some serious reps if Speaks emerges as a young talent ready to make good on the second-round investment. Okafor and the like are hardly going to stand in the way of a burgeoning starter, so Speaks can grab the brass ring without being forced into the role.