Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp 2017 Preview: Pass Rushers

Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp Preview

Justin Houston – Outside Linebacker

Plain and simple, the Kansas City Chiefs need a good season from Justin Houston in 2017. Since landing his huge deal in 2015, the Chiefs have not seen even a full season of work from Houston, let alone production along the lines that got him that contract. With so much invested into him, Kansas City needs to see a return.

When healthy, Justin Houston is one of the most dominant pass rushers in the NFL. With solid strength, speed, athleticism, and an understanding of the position, he’s nearly impossible to stop. Houston even excels beyond being a pass rusher, showing a good presence against the run and dropping into coverage.

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Of course, any time you have to preface a description of a player with the words “when healthy”, you know there is a huge caveat there. Justin Houston has missed significant playing time each of the past two seasons, and in three of his last four. That is a major blow to the defense.

However, Justin Houston appears to be fully healthy now, so all we can do is move forward. If Houston is even 75% of the player he has shown he can be, the Chiefs defense should be in a good position. There are very few players in the league, let alone on the Chiefs roster, that can do the things that Houston can do.

Prediction

Obviously Justin Houston is in line to be a starter and the primary pass rusher for the Kansas City Chiefs defense. This is one area that has to absolutely be labeled as an upgrade over the 2016 Chiefs roster. Houston is a game changer, and should help revitalize a pass rush that wasn’t up to par last year.