How does the Kansas City Chiefs roster compare to 2018?

This year’s Chiefs team certainly looks different than it did a year ago, but is it really an improvement from a season ago?

The offense looks largely the same as it did a year ago and, when it really comes down to it, can you improve that much from how the Chiefs’ offense performed last season? Coming off a year where the Chiefs offense was #1 in the NFL, the only place to go is realistically down.

The biggest hit to the Chiefs offense is obviously losing starting running back Kareem Hunt, but based on last season Damien Williams was able to be a solid backup and the Chiefs had no trouble winning without Hunt. However, the loss of such a talented player still hurts the Chiefs, even if only slightly.

The signing of LeSean McCoy makes up for the loss of Hunt. McCoy is coming off a poor year with the Buffalo Bills, but is reuniting with head coach Andy Reid. Under Reid, McCoy was an absolute star, and if Reid can get McCoy back to even half of his former self, the Chiefs will not miss Kareem Hunt at all. Ultimately, the McCoy signing was an excellent move by general manager Brett Veach, and has the potential to make the Chiefs’ running backs better than a year ago.

The Chiefs added wide receiver Mecole Hardman to the wide receiver corps, which makes this year’s passing offense even scarier to opposing defenses. But we are yet to see Hardman in an actual NFL game, so there are no guarantees that he will produce.

The Chiefs’ offense is ultimately the same as it was a year ago. Even if Patrick Mahomes sees a regression this year, as he likely will, the Chiefs should not have any problems on offense. They should still be competing for the NFL’s best offense and it wouldn’t be surprising if they achieved that honor again.

Now to the biggest question: the defense. Coming off a season where the defense was second worst in the NFL, the obvious thought is there’s nowhere to go but up. That feeling is largely true, but the question is how much will the Chiefs’ defense improve?

After the Chiefs fired Bob Sutton, they brought in Steve “Spags” Spagnuolo as the new defensive coordinator. The biggest change in the Spags signing is the Chiefs’ switch from a 3-4 base defense to a 4-3 defense. Now, instead of having three defensive linemen and four linebackers, the Chiefs will have four defensive linemen and three linebackers to make up the front seven.

This explains why the Chiefs’ depth at linebacker and defensive line flipped from a year ago. Now of course, the Chiefs’ defense will not skyrocket into the top 10 or even top 15 in the NFL, but with the additions they made the top 25 is certainly realistic.

Mathieu’s presence will bring leadership to the secondary that makes everyone play better. Defensive end Frank Clark next to defensive tackle Chris Jones is going to be a pass rushing nightmare for opposing teams. Add in other small improvements the Chiefs have made, and their defense is certainly improved from a season ago.

That being said, after Kendall Fuller, Bashaud Breeland, and Charvarius Ward the Chiefs have to turn to Rashad Fenton. Though their secondary has improved with the additions of Tyrann Mathieu and Juan Thornhill, cornerback is still the Chiefs’ weakest spot on defense and will be something to watch this season.

Without any changes this year, the Chiefs special teams neither improved nor got worse. The Chiefs have consistently had a solid group of special teams players and this season is no exception. Harrison Butker is a solid kicker, Dustin Colquitt is still among the best punters in the league, and James Winchester is a solid rock at long snapper.

Overall, this year’s Chiefs roster is better than last year’s. However, only slightly. The team still has holes to fill like at cornerback, but with the improvements they’ve made, the team is in prime position to make a run to win the Super Bowl this year.