The biggest early season surprises for the Kansas City Chiefs

Bargain bin depth on the defensive line

The Chiefs have a solid starting corps up front with Clark, Jones, Derrick Nnadi, and Alex Okafor. Tanoh Kpassagnon and Mike Pennel provide solid veteran depth as well. For the short term, this was a team strength entering 2020.

But Kansas City once again found themselves a little short-handed and relying on new faces. After Ogbah left for Miami in free agency, the Chiefs spent a fifth round pick on Mike Danna, and would later sign former first rounder Taco Charlton. Kansas City also found Tershawn Wharton, a diamond in the rough from tiny Missouri S&T.

It didn’t take long before the trio was able to make a mark. Danna and Wharton each chipped in during the team’s Week 1 victory against the Houston Texans. Danna impressed with his sound technique, garnering three tackles, and then in Week 2 he collected the first sack of his NFL career against Justin Herbert and the Chargers. Danna played approximately 50% of the snaps in each of the first three games of 2020.

In Week 2, Charlton was activated for the first time. With the score tied at 17 and just 3:17 on the game clock, Charlton came up with a clutch 3rd down sack of Herbert that forced a field goal attempt. The Chiefs would then tie at the end of regulation, and subsequently win in overtime.

Charlton showed up big again in Week 4. Late in the 3rd quarter, the Chiefs led 6-3 but Brian Hoyer and the Patriots drove inside the Kansas City 10-yard-line. Again on 3rd down, Taco came in clutch. Charlton whipped around rookie right tackle Justin Herron and strip-sacked Hoyer. The Chiefs would recover. Seven plays and 85 yards later, the Chiefs would score the first touchdown of the game. Hoyer was replaced on the next series, and it’s entirely possible that he may never play another snap in the NFL again.

Wharton showed enormous potential with his athleticism in the middle. When second-year reserve Khalen Saunders went down with an elbow injury in Week 1, Wharton was asked to step in and he did not disappoint. He’s played approximately a third of team snaps in the first quarter of the year, including just over 50% of snaps against the Patriots in Week 4 as the Chiefs played without Jones and Saunders in the middle. Wharton gets great push and plays above his weight. He has plus athleticism and moves well enough to drop back in coverage (as Spagnuolo is prone to do on occasion with his defensive tackles). “Terk” is only getting better. When Saunders returns, the team is going to have a logjam of talent in the middle, with Jones, Nnadi, Pennel, Saunders, and Wharton.

All in all, the Chiefs unheralded trio of newcomers have provided a much-needed spark in the defensive front. The Chiefs currently rank second in the AFC in sacks (behind Pittsburgh) with 12.