Which Kansas City Chiefs players will break out in 2020?

Willie Gay Jr.

Is there more of an athletic player than Wille Gay Jr.? I mean this guy ran a 4.46 second time in the 40-yard dash, which is in the 99.6% percentile of players his size, and had a vertical of 39.5”, which falls into the 96.7% percentile. He also had a broad jump of 136” which led all linebackers. If I am picking someone who will fill a void and step up at the position that is a major concern for the Chiefs, it is him.

I believe Willie Gay Jr. is the guy the Chiefs envisioned Dorian O’ Daniel would be (and more). Fast, athletic, with the ability to play multiple positions and the size to stop the run, Gay Jr. will be a starter by Week 1. While rookies don’t always start for Andy Reid, Juan Thornhill bucked that trend last year and I have a feeling Gay will showcase enough talent to keep it going. His talent alone will allow him to start early, given that linebacker is such a need for the Chiefs.

While Gay was at Mississippi State, I actually had folks reach out to me while I was doing my radio show and saying to look out for this guy. They kept talking about his talent and athleticism while playing down his off-the-field issues. The Chiefs obviously did their due diligence and felt comfortable taking him so early in the draft. In the end, it looks like the Chiefs potentially added a late first round talent at the very end of the second round. You have to love that value.

If Gay starts 14 games and makes an impact by slowing down tight ends and stopping the run, that would be enough of a breakout for me. Since the Chiefs are seemingly going to a more versatile defense where guys like Tyrann Mathieu, Jones, and Kpassagnon can play multiple positions, it makes sense to have someone like Willie Gay Jr. on the field as well.