It’s been over 85 days since the Chiefs walked off the field in New Orleans, embarrassed in Super Bowl 59. Since that night, the Chiefs and general manager Brett Veach have been working to improve a roster that came up short on the biggest stage.
Despite losing only one regular-season game with their starters, there was still plenty of work to do. After making seven draft picks, signing free agents, and executing trades, let’s review which holes still remain on the Chiefs’ roster.
Who's Stopping the Run?
Perhaps the most obvious need heading into the draft was defensive tackle. After losing both Derrick Nnadi and Tershawn Wharton in free agency, the Chiefs had clear gaps along the interior defensive line. They made modest moves by bringing back 33-year-old Mike Pennel and adding veteran journeyman Jerry Tillery.
Before the draft, it was essentially Chris Jones and a handful of players on veteran-minimum contracts. The Chiefs addressed defensive tackle with the 63rd pick, selecting Omarr Norman-Lott. The only issue? He doesn’t help much against the run.
Norman-Lott averaged just over 17 snaps per game at Tennessee and ranked 20th in defensive snaps played on the Volunteers’ defense. He played almost exclusively on passing downs and showed clear weaknesses against the run.
While his pass-rushing upside is intriguing, he doesn’t really move the needle in run defense. Tillery isn’t known for that either. So, is Mike Pennel the only reliable run-stopper? That’s concerning in a division that just added Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, and RJ Harvey. Make no mistake: the Chiefs must stop the run to win the AFC West in 2025.
Maybe the Chiefs like their depth with former top-100 pick Siaki Ika and 2024 UDFA Fabien Lovett. It’s also worth noting that Nnadi was never an elite player, but right now the team is relying heavily on an aging Mike Pennel. Maybe Norman-Lott is capable of more and just wasn’t given the chance to show it. Maybe Ika finally lives up to his draft status. Maybe Lovett has untapped upside. Or maybe a veteran signing in camp will help. For now, though, it’s a little scary.
How does the left side of the OL shake out?
The offensive line was one of the biggest reasons for the Chiefs’ collapse in New Orleans. Now, that same line is even weaker with the loss of All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. The Chiefs are hoping for a small step back at left guard in exchange for a big step forward at left tackle. Kingsley Suamataia is the projected starter at left guard, but the team has plenty of competition lined up—CJ Hanson, Hunter Nourzad, and Mike Caliendo among them. It looks like the left guard spot will be decided in training camp.
Left tackle is projected to be Jaylon Moore, though he’s essentially a rookie when it comes to playing time. He’s shown flashes in spot starts, but those came in a system known for protecting offensive linemen. Josh Simmons may be the long-term answer at left tackle, but he’s still recovering from a patellar injury and will need to be eased in.
The Chiefs have raised the floor at left tackle from Thuney and Wanya Morris to Moore and Simmons. Suamataia needs to look sharp at guard—or there’s a real chance the left side of the line ends up right back where it was in the Super Bowl.
How does the puzzle fit together at the skill positions?
The Chiefs’ offense lacked explosiveness in 2024, even with one of the fastest players in the league, Xavier Worthy. The absence of Rashee Rice was a major blow to the team’s ability to create chunk plays, and Hollywood Brown missing most of the season didn’t help. Before long, the offense was leaning on JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeAndre Hopkins, and Kareem Hunt. The result? An offense that felt slow and struggled to score quickly.
Getting Rice and Isiah Pacheco back and healthy feels like the first step toward returning the offense to form. But there are still plenty of questions about the supporting cast. Hollywood Brown didn’t make much of an impact last season, especially in the playoffs. That has to change. Worthy made strides out of necessity, but can he take the next step and become a consistent deep threat? What does Travis Kelce look like this year? Can the Chiefs manage his usage to preserve his effectiveness? And how much can Jalen Royals and Brashard Smith contribute?
The Chiefs may have the pieces. Now they just need to figure out how to put the puzzle together.
What will the level of safety play be like?
We know the names expected to patrol the back end of the defense: Jaden Hicks, Bryan Cook, Chamarri Conner, and Mike Edwards. What we don’t know is the floor—or ceiling—of this group. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has long valued a veteran leader at safety to anchor the coverage unit. With the Giants, it was Landon Collins. In Kansas City, it was Tyrann Mathieu, then Justin Reid. This will be the first time in years the Chiefs enter a season without a true star at the position.
Bringing back Mike Edwards helps raise the floor, although it's worth noting he was cut by the Bills last year. There’s plenty of excitement about Jaden Hicks, but he’s stepping into a much bigger role. Cook and Edwards played together in 2023, so it’s reasonable to expect them to reprise those roles, with Hicks taking over for Reid.
Then there’s Chamarri Conner, who played mostly in the slot last year—a role that will be occupied by Trent McDuffie in 2025. If the Chiefs feel confident in Conner’s ability to play deep safety, they may believe they have four versatile players who can mix and match as needed.