Kansas City Chiefs: The Five Most Surprising Players Of 2016
By Ben Almquist
Kansas City Chiefs Most Surprising Players #5
Chris Jones
I won’t say I’m surprised that Chris Jones played well. However, what was surprising was just how much the Chiefs ended up needing him this year. With entrenched starters Jaye Howard and Allen Bailey already in place, Jones didn’t figure to see a lot of playing time. Unfortunately, both veterans suffered season ending injuries and the rookie was thrust into the spotlight.
Chris Jones rose to the occasion. The rookie defensive lineman became a fan favorite quickly for his ability to make key plays. There was also the relative ease with which Jones seemed to be able to get past veteran offensive linemen on the field. Rookies really aren’t supposed to be able to do the things he was doing.
However, I won’t say it was all good for the first year big man. There were times in which Chris Jones seemed to disappear, something that was noted in his draft scouting reports. Of course, that is also in large part to the fact that Jones was carrying quite a load in terms of playing time.
Moving forward, I would expect Chris Jones to continue to get more playing time for the Chiefs. There is no reason why he shouldn’t win the starting job in 2017. However, that will leave KC in a bit of an interesting position regarding how to utilize their stable of defensive linemen.