Tag: Khalen Saunders

Brendan Daly excited by development of Chiefs DTs Khalen Saunders, Tershawn Wharton

With training camp coming to a close this week, #Chiefs DL coach Brendan Daly is excited by what he has seen from the depth on the defensive interior. | from @TheJohnDillon

Despite the close of training camp on Wednesday, defensive line coach Brendan Daly seems to think the Kansas City Chiefs have only scratched the surface with his unit so far.

The most obvious difference in the team’s new-look defensive front is Chris Jones‘ move to the end position, but the more intriguing change being born out of the camp process is lower on the depth chart. With a healthy mix of veteran talent and younger competitors, Kansas City hopes to have found linemen that can be stout against the run while maintaining the Chiefs’ signature knack for pass rush.

Jones’ move outside, playing opposite Frank Clark, has opened up an opportunity in the middle of the line for several players to claim rotational roles. As the cream rises to the top in their remaining preseason games, the Chiefs’ coaching staff will seek to find the top defensive tackles to anchor the defense this season.

The key battle in the middle of the line appears to be between Khalen Saunders and Tershawn Wharton, which is expected to heat up in the coming weeks. Daly told reporters on Wednesday that Saunders has had a strong camp, and praised his football acumen ahead of Friday’s game in Arizona.

“It’s been great to see,” Daly said of Saunders’ emergence, “I’d say he’s had the best training camp he’s had since he’s been with us. I’m pleased with the way he’s working. He’s expanded his role. One of the things that jumps out to me about Khalen, he’s one of the smartest guys in the room. He understands adjustments, the calls, the schemes. A very, very high football IQ, which is impressive to me.”

Saunders was a third-round pick by Kansas City in 2019, and would make a big statement by increasing his role this season. While he has expectations dating back to when the Chiefs drafted him, second-year defensive tackle and Missouri S&T product, Tershawn Wharton, is hot on his tail. Wharton was a relative unknown last season before bursting on the scene to make appearances in all 16 regular-season games, playing in about half of the team’s defensive snaps.

Wharton has a good chance to land a bigger role if his play continues to impress in this preseason. From Daly’s comments to media, he seems to be something of a favorite among the coaches, and prepares with an intensity that would lend itself to a starting role.

“If you watch this guy practice its a thousand miles an hour,” Daly told reporters, “He doesn’t seem to get tired, he’s a relentless energy and effort about him and he’s got a really good skillset. He’s explosive, he’s powerful, he’s got good quickness.”

It’s too early to say definitively whether the interior defensive line will be the Chiefs’ biggest strength on defense this season. Between Daly’s comments and the way the unit has carried itself in camp, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them excel. The next two preseason games will give fans a better idea of what to expect in September. They should provide valuable insight into the development of Kansas City’s talent in the trenches.

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Frank Clark’s expectations for Chiefs’ pass rush in 2021

Clark spoke with reporters on Tuesday, sharing his expectations personally and for the team while assessing the previous year’s performance. 

As the Kansas City Chiefs begin mandatory minicamp preparing for a bounce-back season, hopeful for another return to the Super Bowl, they’re keeping expectations reasonable. Pro Bowl defensive end Frank Clark has his finger on the pulse of the defense as a team leader in his third season.

Clark is fresh off of back-to-back Pro Bowl selections, quickly establishing himself as one of the top players in the league. He started and played in all but one game last season, recording six sacks. It wasn’t exactly the top-flight season that he was hoping for in terms of statistics and he’s hoping to do more in 2021.

The veteran defensive end spoke with reporters on Tuesday, sharing his personal goals and goals for the team while assessing the previous year’s performance.

“Just fulfilling my goals. I didn’t hit my goals last year—well, I hit some of them”, said Clark. “I didn’t hit all of them—one of them being my sack numbers and stuff like that. But like I said, you’ve got to be able to wash your mind of it. It’s a long year, it’s been a long two years for us, and I just look forward to getting back out there when the season starts and doing what I love to do—rushing the passer and stopping the run.”

The Chiefs’ defense made even more strides last season as the unit’s core group of players continues to gel. Clark expressed his optimism for the team and expects more from the young talent already on the roster.

“Man, I feel like we’re going to have a lot of fun out there,” said Clark. “We’ve got a lot of young guys that are willing to step up. Some guys you don’t even need to name, you’ve got Khalen Saunders, and it’s a lot of young talent. I feel like over the first few years we had, we were new, we didn’t really know each other. It was one of those types of things where we were playing. Still, I feel like at this point going into Year 3; basically, with our foundation kind of being set now with us knowing the layout of our defense, knowing where each person is going to be, knowing how each person plays, I feel like that all plays into our favor, honestly.”

The defense is steadily improving and is a far cry from the struggles they faced just three years ago, ranking among the worst units in the league. Clark’s leadership will be vital if the young players he mentioned are to develop as he predicted. His ability to bounce back and have a strong statistical season will also be vital to the defensive outcome in 2021.

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Chargers Prospect Interview: North Dakota State OT Dillon Radunz

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez had the opportunity of interviewing potential Chargers prospect, North Dakota State tackle Dillon Radunz.

I spent this past week down in Mobile, AL for the Reese’s Senior Bowl, a prestigious college football all-star game, where over a hundred of the top senior prospects showcase themselves in front of a crop of NFL personnel.

I was fortunate enough to sit down and talk to former North Dakota State offensive tackle Dillon Radunz to pick his brain and get an inside look at his mindset going into this year’s draft.

Vitals

Height | 6-5

Weight | 304

College Bio Page

Chargers Fit

While Radunz needs to get better at finishing blocks, he has the athleticism, range, foot quickness and run-blocking temperament needed for the NFL. With Los Angeles, Radunz is capable of playing either tackle or guard. While he develops more mass and add bulk to his frame, his skillset suggests high potential.

Round Projection: Early-Mid Round 2

Highlights

How’s your time been like at the Senior Bowl?

Overall, it’s been fun. I’ve been dying to play football since Oct. 3. It’s competitive, and every time I get done with practice I’m like, “I can’t wait to do it all again tomorrow!” My body is sore, but overall it’s been a blast.

You only played one game this past season due to COVID-19. What did you do to keep your body in shape and who did you work with?

Like you mentioned, we only played one game, which was unfortunate. To stay in shape, I pushed my conditioning and my body to get stronger and more durable, so that way when I do go into a regular season I’ll be stronger and more durable than I was before.

I went to California and started training with Joe Staley and his weight trainer. I was able to gain a lot of strength and a lot of football IQ, on and off the field from Joe and how the league operates. Worked with him and started Combine training in January in Irvine, CA and still had him as a coach.

Describe the mentality of North Dakota State that’s helped them become one of the most dominant programs.

The mentality is that we are going to bring it to whoever walks through the program and develop them into better men, not just better football players. It’s all about selfless leadership. We are going to take care of each other, push each other and give 100% each time, and that’s how we’ve become so successful.

You played left tackle in college, but got some reps this past week at left guard. What suits you better?

I want to be a left tackle because that’s where I’m most confident. But some teams want to see what I can do inside, which I have no problem with. Ultimately, I want to play a significant role early on in my professional career. I know it’s a team sport, so wherever I’m going to have the most impact, that’s where I’m going to play.

How do you handle speed differently than power?

Ultimately, it’s get in your spot. With speed, I was born with it, so it helps. For me, it’s moving my feet and extending my arms. In regards to defending power, I have great hip bend and I’m able to arch my back. However, I realize that I won’t be able to do that all the time. However, I’ve been fortunate to learn from Paul Alexander to help me develop my technique and work on that combination.

Do you have a preferred pass set?

An angle set. It’s basically an aggressive pass set on a 45-degree angle, where you have a balanced set and punch from your back. With a vertical set, you better have strong hips and a strong anchor. With a jump set, you need to have quick feet. I choose to be in between those.

Whether it was at the Senior Bowl or throughout your time at North Dakota State, who are some of the best pass rushers you’ve gone up against?

There were a lot of them at the Senior Bowl, by no surprise. In college, Ron’Dell Carter out of James Madison University was really good. Elerson Smith, who’s here at the Senior Bowl, was a good challenge when I played him while he was at University of Northern Iowa. He bulked up, so he’s quite a bit stronger now. Other than that, Khalen Saunders, who now plays with the Chiefs, was another tough matchup.

Who are some offensive linemen that you like to model your game after?

The three that I model my game after would be Joe Thomas, Taylor Lewan and David Bakhtiari.

I’m curious, is there an NFL quarterback who you’d love to block for?

Buccaneers’ Tom Brady, for sure. I jumped on the bandwagon when I was in seventh grade.

What kind of impact is Dillon Radunz going to make at the next level?

I’m going to bring team chemistry. That’s the way that I believe teams win Super Bowls. I want to instill that so that way the team is firing on all cylinders. That’s what I want to bring to others and myself, so that way whatever they ask of me I am going to do at a high level and it’ll ultimately resonate with others. Team chemistry. I think that’s what makes teams great. At the end of the day, I’m going to protect my teammates, love the fans, and give back to the community.

Andy Reid explains why Chiefs DT Khalen Saunders remains a healthy scratch

Andy Reid talked about why Saunders hasn’t been playing for the Chiefs lately.

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Kansas City Chiefs DT Khalen Saunders hasn’t been active since earlier this season. In fact, he’s been a healthy scratch for the past five games for the Chiefs. We now have some answers about why the third-round draft pick from 2019 has been inactive all this time.

Saunders suffered an elbow dislocation in Week 1 against the Houston Texans and was subsequently placed on injured reserve. The athletic defensive tackle made his return from IR ahead of Week 7. He played just 15 snaps in Week 7, the most he has played all season. He didn’t play particularly bad either, recording a key solo tackle.

While Saunders was on the injury report up until Week 13, he’s been a full participant in practice each week. When Chiefs HC Andy Reid was asked about his absence, he explained that the injury has played a role in Saunders’ inability to see the field.

“That and some of the other guys that have been in there have done ok,” Reid said. “You put one up, you’ve got to put one down. That’s one of the negatives of when you get injured. Somebody steps in and does pretty good, then that’s what goes on. He’s definitely a good football player and his time will come here.”

There are only so many repetitions to go around at the defensive tackle position. Right now, the Chiefs use a four-man rotation with Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Mike Pennel and Tershawn Wharton. Unfortunately for Saunders, his injury opened up the opportunity for a player like Wharton to come in and make an impression. Wharton has been one of the better rookie defensive linemen in the NFL this season and the team isn’t going to bench him based on seniority.

Thankfully, Saunders is a team-player and he knows that what Reid says is true. He’ll have an opportunity to play eventually. Right now, his job is to keep working and stay ready. That way, when the time comes for him to fill in, he’ll be able to make the type of impression that’ll make it hard for the coach to send him back to the bench.

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Chiefs make two roster moves on Saturday

Khalen Saunders is officially back, while Alex Okafor heads to injured reserve.

The Kansas City Chiefs have made two roster moves on Saturday, officially activating a player from injured reserve, while sending another to injured reserve.

Former 2019 third-round draft pick, DT Khalen Saunders, returned to practice on Wednesday. He was also designated to return from injured reserve, so we had an idea that this move was coming. NFL teams are permitted to bring back an unlimited number of players from injured reserve this season.

Saunders suffered a dislocated elbow during the Week 1 win over the Houston Texans. He missed about a month with his injury, which was right around the projected timeline for his recovery.

It wasn’t clear if Saunders would make his return this week. It appears that a good week of practice has the team confident in their decision to officially activate the athletic defensive tackle. He could prove to be important depth, with Chris Jones possibly playing double-duty, getting snaps at the injury-stressed defensive end position.

In a corresponding move, the Chiefs sent oft-injured DE Alex Okafor to injured reserve. Okafor suffered a hamstring injury in Week 1 of the 2020 season, knocking him out for several games. Okafor injured his other hamstring in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills. Okafor has played in just 14-of-26 possible games since his arrival in Kansas City in 2019.

In addition to these two moves, the Chiefs also elevated a pair of practice squad players to the roster.

An optional move that the team didn’t make this week was to activate OT Martinas Rankin from the PUP list. Rankin also returned to practice on Wednesday, opening up a 21-day practice window during which Kansas City must decide if they’ll bring him back or place him on season-ending injured reserve. We’ll find out if he’s any closer to making his return next week.

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Chiefs make flurry of transactions on Wednesday

Several players returned to practice as a part of four transactions on Wednesday.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have made four different transactions on Wednesday according to the NFL’s official transaction report, three of which had players returning to practice for the Chiefs.

Former 2019 third-round draft pick Khalen Saunders was designated to return from injured reserve. The athletic defensive tackle suffered a dislocated elbow during the Week 1 win over the Houston Texans. He was subsequently placed on injured reserve and was expected to miss about a month with the injury. He seems to be right on track to make his return.

The Chiefs haven’t made a corresponding transaction and won’t need to quite yet. With FB Anthony Sherman on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the team has a roster spot available for Saunders for when he’s officially activated.

Teams can return an unlimited number of players from injured reserve this year. Saunders simply marks the first player to make his return. Rookies Mike Danna and L’Jarius Sneed remain options to return from injured reserve later on in the season.

Next, OL Martinas Rankin did in fact make his return to practice on Wednesday. This week marked the first week that he could return to practice after beginning the season on the PUP list. This opens a multi-week window where the Chiefs need to decide if Rankin is healthy enough to return to action. He wasn’t listed on the first injury report of the week for the Chief. That is typically a good sign.

Jordan Ta’amu, who became the first player to be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list in Kansas City after reportedly testing positive for the virus nearly three weeks ago, has been removed from the list. It appears he has beaten the virus and has been cleared to rejoin his teammates at practice.

Finally, as shorthanded as the Chiefs are at the offensive line position, the team chose to protect practice squad OG Danny Isidora. A new NFL practice squad rule allows teams to protect players from poaching each week. Teams can choose up to four new players to be protected beginning every Tuesday. Those players can then be elevated to the active roster on game day without the threat of poaching during the week or after the game.

Isidora has played mostly at guard during both his professional and collegiate career. It’ll be interesting to see who the Chiefs turn to at the tackle position in terms of depth, assuming Mitchell Schwartz is unable to go on Sunday.

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Report: Chiefs DT Khalen Saunders expected to miss about a month

Kansas City Chiefs DT Khalen Saunders is going to miss some time, but will he go to injured reserve?

The Kansas City Chiefs will be missing one of their interior defensive linemen for about a month according to a new report.

Chiefs DT Khalen Saunders suffered a dislocated elbow during the Week 1 game against the Houston Texans. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Saunders won’t require surgery on his elbow, as there were no fractures or accompanying ligament damage. Andy Reid described the injury as “clean” after the game and any follow-up has revealed that to be the case.

According to Rapoport, Saunders is expected to be out for about a month. If that holds, his return should be expected somewhere around Week 7, when the Chiefs visit the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium.

The question remains whether the team will keep Saunders on the active roster or send him to injured reserve. In 2020, teams may return an unlimited number of players from injured reserve as opposed to two. They also only need to be on the list for three weeks as opposed to eight weeks. It would stand to reason that a move to send Saunders to injured reserve is forthcoming.

Saunders, a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, appeared in 12 games in 2019, starting in four contests. He recorded 22 tackles, a ball batted and a sack on the season. He was expected to take on a larger role early in the season with Mike Pennel suspended for the first two weeks. Instead, it has been UDFA DT Tershawn Wharton who stepped up, earning a top 3 grade from Pro Football Focus in Week 1 against the Texans.

Kansas City signaled that this news was coming yesterday when they protected practice squad DT Braxton Hoyett. We’ll see if they end up sending him to injured reserve when the transaction report comes out later today.

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Chiefs injury updates following Week 1 vs. Texans

Some good and bad injury news following the game for the Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a wave of injuries on the defensive side of the ball during Thursday’s season-opening win over the Houston Texans. Following the game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid updated media members on the injuries and their severity.

Khalen Saunders, who left the game early with an elbow injury, dislocated his elbow. Andy Reid described the injury as “clean.” He said that there was no accompanying ligament damage, which means there is a quicker turnaround on the injury. It’s not great news, but Reid said it’s “better than the alternative.”

Alex Okafor, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury, is dealing with what Andy Reid described as a slight hamstring strain. That shouldn’t be a big deal for Kansas City, but Okafor has been dinged up in the past.

Finally, Chiefs starting left cornerback Charvarius Ward seems to have the most serious injury. He left the game with a hand injury and the team confirmed he suffered a fractured hand. Depending on what type of fracture he could possibly play with a club on his hand. It’s also possible that he might need surgery and could be out a few weeks. It’s worth noting that injured reserve is a possibility with an injury like that. Players can be on injured reserve for three weeks before being brought back for the 2020 season.

It’s a tough break for Ward, literally and figuratively speaking. He had offseason LASIK surgery and was looking forward to intercepting more passes in 2020. A hand injury could set him back on that goal.

Two of the injured players are already talking about how great their comebacks are going to be.

Let’s hope they get back to action sooner rather than later.

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Chiefs rule out DT Khalen Saunders with elbow injury

Saunders suffered an apparent elbow injury in the first quarter.

The Kansas City Chiefs have suffered what appears to be their first significant injury of the season. The Houston Texans were driving down the field in the first quarter when second-year DT Khalen Saunders went down in a heap, grasping at his left elbow area.

Saunders, a former third-round draft pick in 2019, is one of the Chiefs’ main run defenders, backing up starting DT Derrick Nnadi. Saunders was expected to have a bigger role in the first two weeks to start the season with Mike Pennel suspended. Now they’ll rely on undrafted free agent defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton to pick up the slack in the remainder of the game against the Texans.

Later the Chiefs would announce Saunders as ruled out with an elbow injury.

The Chiefs are short on defensive tackle depth tonight and Nnadi might be on a pitch count due to an ankle injury. Wharton will be the first man off the bench, but we could see some players like Mike Danna and Tanoh Kpassagnon getting snaps inside later in the game.

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Chiefs 2019 rookie season review: DT Khalen Saunders

The Kansas City Chiefs played Saunders out of necessity, but look for improvements in year two as an NFL player.

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The Kansas City Chiefs added six draft picks in the 2019 NFL Draft and each of those rookies made contributions during the season and postseason. This draft had a mix of offensive and defensive players compared to the 2018 NFL Draft, which was primarily defensive players for the Chiefs. Let’s take a look at Khalen Saunders’ 2019 season and see what we can project for the future.

Western Illinois DT Khalen Saunders – 84 overall

Stat

2019 totals
Games played 12
Games started 4
Defensive Snaps 165
Special Teams Snaps 130
Total Tackles 22
Solo Tackles 13
Sack 1
Pass deflection 1
QB hit 2

2019 season review:

There were plenty of standouts from the 2019 draft class ahead of the start of the season. Juan Thornhill lit up training camp. Mecole Hardman and Darwin Thompson lit up the preseason. Saunders had a more difficult adjustment to the NFL early on.

“Yeah, there was a point there where [Saunders] plateaued a little bit,” Steve Spagnuolo said in August. “Brendan (Daly) and I talked about it, but I think he’s worked him a way to making some gains.  It’s a little up and down, 50/50 right now, he has to find some consistency, but we like where he’s at right now.”

Luckily for Saunders, the Chiefs didn’t need him early on during the 2019 season. Saunders was made inactive through the first quarter of the season, effectively becoming a healthy scratch. It wasn’t until Week 5 that he was first active and played his first NFL defensive snaps.

Saunders started the four games in place of Chris Jones who was injured. During that time, he proved to be a solid component of the defensive line rotation. He had a great hustle play for his first NFL sack, which came against Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. From Week 10 onwards, after Jones’ return, Saunders snap counts dipped significantly.

2020 season outlook:

The Kansas City Chiefs have three defensive tackles scheduled to become free agents in 2020 in Jones, Mike Pennel and Xavier Williams. It’s unlikely that all three players hit free agency because that’d leave the team dangerously thin at the position. There should, at the very least, be more snaps available for Saunders during the 2020 NFL season. I don’t expect to see him as a healthy scratch again.

What the Chiefs need to see from Saunders in 2020 are some improvements. He’s already improved as a run defender throughout the 2019 season. What I am looking for is continued development as a pass rusher, especially if Kansas City is forced to move on from Chris Jones. Too many players hit the sophomore slump in the NFL. I fear some players for the Chiefs will be at further risk of that because of the success they saw in 2019. I’m hoping that Saunders won’t be one of those players.

Chiefs 2019 rookie season reviews:

WR Mecole Hardman (Coming soon)

DB Juan Thornhill (Coming soon)

DT Khalen Saunders (You’re here!)

CB Rashad Fenton 

RB Darwin Thompson

OL Nick Allegretti

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