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The Kansas City Chiefs boast one of the deepest rosters in the league and their Super Bowl-winning season proved that much. They dealt with attrition at a number of positions throughout the year, including receiver, quarterback, offensive line and defensive line. No matter who was out, including star QB Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs seemed to have a suitable alternative waiting in the wings.
Mark Schofield over at Touchdown Wire took a crack at naming the 11 deepest rosters in the league. Kansas City came in No. 2 on his list behind only the Baltimore Ravens. Here’s a look at what Schofield had to say:
“First the good news: they have Patrick Mahomes. Sure, this is a list of depth charts, but that is a very good starting place. They also have weapons all over their offense, and when you look at players such as Mecole Hardman and Sammy Watkins as your third and fourth receivers, that shows the depth you have at that position. They can even trot out Anthony Sherman, one of the game’s best fullbacks. Plus, they drafted Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a perfect fit in their offense, along with Damien Williams and Darwin Thompson.
“They also have depth up front on defense, with players like Mike Pennel, Tanoh Kpassagnon and Khalen Saunders forming a formidable second unit on the defensive line. Depth at linebacker was a question but the addition of Willie Gay Jr., who lit up the Combine with his performance, is a certain boost.“
In 2019, the Chiefs played stretches without some of their best players including Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Eric Fisher, Frank Clark and Chris Jones. The fact that they were able to reach and win the Super Bowl in spite of that fact speaks to the depth of the team. A number of players who are still on the team — Mecole Hardman, Tanoh Kpassagnon and Khalen Saunders — they had valuable snaps that will make an impact during the upcoming season.
It’s easy to marvel at the depth of the skill positions for Kansas City in 2020. The only position on offense that is noticeably lacking is the tight end group, but even then we’ve seen some flashes from some of the unknowns behind Travis Kelce. The offensive line depth is as deep as I’ve ever seen it, especially at tackle. Andy Reid has also proven throughout his career that he can scheme his way to victory with a backup quarterback, as he did with Matt Moore in 2019.
On the defensive side of the ball, the one area of concern for depth is the cornerback position. This past season most people felt the same way about the group and they exceeded expectations. This year there’s just a number of unknown commodities. Guys like Antonio Hamilton, L’Jarius Sneed, BoPete Keyes, Lavert Hill, Javaris Davis, Jalen Julius, Hakeem Bailey are all just names on a piece of paper at this point. All of the other position groups seem to have substantial depth, including a number of guys who’ve played in the system for at least a season.
No matter the names they have at the second string, Kansas City does next man up perhaps better than any team in the NFL. It’s a product of coaching and preparedness as much as it is the sheer talent of the individual players. The Chiefs’ backup players are coached as hard and asked to prepare as if they were starting. That mentality alone should give them a big advantage in terms of roster depth.
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