Bold Predictions for the Kansas City Chiefs 2023 season
By Matt Conner
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The Chiefs will have two double-digit sack artists
As long as the Chiefs have a healthy Chris Jones in the heart of the line, the defensive front is always going to be formidable to some degree. But despite the fact that the team has won two of the last four Super Bowls and hosted the last five conference championships, it's not as if sack numbers have been all that plentiful around K.C. in the last half-decade.
Since 2019, the Chiefs have only had a single season with any player with a double-digit sack total—that's Jones with 15.5 just last year. That means no one got 10 or more in 2019, 2020, or 2021. You'd have to go back to 2018, the first season with Patrick Mahomes as a starting quarterback, to find two defenders with 10 or more sacks each. That's when Dee Ford and Chris Jones each crossed into double digits (and Justin Houston surprisingly had 9 as well).
It's been that long since the Chiefs had the horses (or at least the potential horses) to gather than many sacks once again, but the team has invested back to back first-round selections at defensive end with George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah. They also signed a promising 25-year-old edge rusher in Charles Omenihu.
Jones seems like a good bet to reach 10 or more again knowing how inspired his play has become at this stage of his career. Karlaftis came on strong in the second half of last season and finished with 7. Mike Danna had only 5 despite playing in less than 50 percent of snaps and in only 13 games. Omenihu has a clear path to a starting role for the first time. We like someone's chances to put together sacks in a bunch along with Jones.