With key departures and aging stars, the Kansas City Chiefs' defensive front faces scrutiny. Can they rebuild effectively before the season kicks off?
The Kansas City Chiefs have been busy as can be during the NFL offseason.
The Chiefs hired Eric Bieniemy once again to be the new offensive coordinator, then got news that tight end Travis Kelce has decided to stick around for at least one more season.
Patrick Mahomes is doing well in his recovery from a torn ACL, but the Chiefs saw plenty of player movement.
All of Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook, Leo Chenal, Hollywood Brown, Trent McDuffie and Isiah Pacheco left this offseason, and some names, such as Kenneth Walker III and Alohi Gilman, came to Kansas City.
All in all, a big question remains on how good the defense will be after a series of departures.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report had one question for every team entering the month of the NFL Draft, and it was all about the defensive line.
"Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid get most of the credit, but when the Chiefs are at their best, it's often because the defensive front is shining. But George Karlaftis is coming off somewhat of a down year while Chris Jones is beyond his prime. There's a good chance they use that No. 9 overall pick on an edge defender. And if not, we'll see how they navigate the rest of the offseason in that area," Gagnon wrote.
That is a big area of concern for the Chiefs, and bringing in an edge rusher seems like an obvious fit, whether it be at No. 9 or at No. 29, which is the pick the Chiefs received in the trade that sent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams.
Miami Hurricanes star edge Rueben Bain Jr. has been mentioned as an option for some time at No. 9 overall, and that would be an excellent addition for Kansas City.
Bain won't get past the top-15 most likely, and if he is gone, the Chiefs could wait to address the defensive line.
At No. 29, some options include UCF edge Malachi Lawrence and Texas A&M edge Cashius Howell, as well as Oklahoma edge R Mason Thomas.
The Chiefs have the 40th overall pick as well, so there is a scenario where they select a wide receiver, cornerback or safety with the first-round choices, with WR Jordyn Tyson and Carnell Tate as options, and Ohio State star safety Caleb Downs as another fit for the Chiefs.
At the end of the day, the Chiefs have plenty of work to do on the defensive side of the football, so that could be a big part of their draft plans this time around.