Five KC Chiefs players I hope prove me wrong this season

Every Single Edge Rusher

So I know it may seem like I’m being a little dramatic here, but this really is the position where I most desperately want to be proven wrong. Please know that I take no joy in confessing these concerns, but I am really worried about KC’s outside pass rush this season. Every single player has question marks around them. Every. Single. One.

• Frank Clark – Hasn’t lived up to his huge contract and now has legal issues looming over him.
• Chris Jones – Has never played on the edge and even if he is good there it takes away from the interior rush.
• Taco Charlton – Has been a bust so far in his career and battled injuries.
• Alex Okafor – Hasn’t been able to stay healthy his entire time in Kansas City.
• Mike Danna – Looked solid in run support as a rookie, but didn’t offer much as a rusher.
• Joshua Kaindoh – Has the physical tools, but he’s as raw as can be coming out of college.
• Tim Ward – A complete unknown who hasn’t had enough NFL experience to be relied on.

The Chiefs defense just hasn’t gotten enough pressure off the edge in the last couple of seasons and they haven’t really done anything this offseason to fix that. Their one big addition to the position, Chris Jones, is just a subtraction from the interior where we know he is great. If they intend to slide him inside on clear passing downs then they still need two starting caliber edge rushers. Clark has flashes, but if he ends up missing any time because of his legal issues the top options become Charlton and Okafor who simply have not been dependable.

I hope this group completely proves me wrong. I hope Jones is great on the edge. I hope Clark doesn’t get suspended and has a good season. I hope Charlton and Okafor both stay healthy and can contribute. I hope Danna flashes more pass rush upside in his second season and I hope Kaindoh looks ahead of schedule. I hope the Chiefs end up having more outside pass rush options than they know what to do with. I’m just worried that may not be the case and would still feel better if they signed another starting caliber option even after bringing Okafor back last week.

So there you have it Chiefs fans. Those are the players that I am hoping prove me wrong this season, starting in camp this week. Do you have concerns with some of these same players? Do you think my concerns with any of them are unfounded? Are there other players you are more concerned with that you are hoping prove you wrong? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below.