Kansas City Chiefs: Six Players Make PFF’s Top 101 Of 2013

Nov 17, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs inside linebacker Derrick Johnson (56) returns a fumble in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Number 72, ILB, Derrick Johnson.

Derrick Johnson has been the heart and soul of the Chiefs defense over the last 5 years. He’s come a long way since getting benched by Todd Haley and his transformation has been fun to watch. PFF wote,

"“Death, taxes and yet another excellent year from Derrick Johnson. In this age that we live in those are some certainties you can believe in. Johnson was particularly strong in coverage where he would earn the highest grade of all inside linebackers thanks in part to his two picks, three pass breakups and 16 defensive stops in that regard. Throw in some decent work in the run game and a useful 23 quarterback disruptions and you’ve got a nice little season."

Best Performance: Week 1, KC @ KAX, +5.0

Key Stat: His 27.7 Pass Rushing Productivity score was the highest of all inside linebackers.”

D.J. is the man and he ranked higher than Carolina Panthers ILB, Luke Kuechly. Some would argue that Kuechly could’ve been the leagues defensive MVP last season but they obviously weren’t paying attention to Derrick Johnson.