While most Kansas City Chiefs fans have been talking about Patrick Mahomes, it is really second round pick Tanoh Kpassagnon that needs to get out there.
There is a glaring hold in the Kansas City Chiefs roster right now, and it will only get worse moving forward. Fortunately, the Chiefs drafted to fix this issue in 2017 and got a very talented player to handle the job. No, I’m not talking about the quarterback spot. I’m talking about the outside linebacker position and Tanoh Kpassagnon.
Kansas City selected Tanoh Kpassagnon in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. At the time, the move was a bit confusing. Kpassagnon was a defensive lineman in college, and there was no immediate spot for him on the Chiefs defense. It was later revealed in training camp that KC intended to make him an outside linebacker.
That’s good news for Kansas City as the position is currently a glaring hole on the field. The Chiefs are currently starting Frank Zombo opposite of Justin Houston, and opponents are attacking accordingly. This past weekend, we saw the Jets openly attack the right side of the defense without any fear of Zombo stopping them.
Jets not afraid to target Revis early, and he misses another tackle. Tanoh Kpassagnon nice job getting over there and saving the touchdown, momentarily.
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) December 3, 2017
Get The Young Man In There
This is where the Kansas City Chiefs need a player like Tanoh Kpassagnon. At 6’7 and 280 lbs, Kpassagnon is a huge man who should be able to effectively set the edge against the run game. His experience as a defensive lineman should mean he understands how to attack the opposing ground game.
The big question though is whether or not Tanoh Kpassagnon can be effective as a pass rusher. That was the biggest knock on him coming out of college as a prospect, and it’s worth noting. The Chiefs need someone opposite of Justin Houston that can get to the passer. That will open up other options with the defensive attack.
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This is especially important given that both Dee Ford and Tamba Hali have been unavailable for the Chiefs this year. In fact, the future of both players with the organization is very much in question at this point. That makes it imperative for Kansas City to get Tanoh Kpassagnon out there so he can get some much-needed experience.
Not Much To Lose By Not Playing Him
Here is where the Tanoh Kpassagnon situation differs from the Patrick Mahomes situation: the Kansas City Chiefs don’t lose much by taking Frank Zombo off the field. The Chiefs are still trying to win their remaining games, so they won’t make decisions based solely on the future. KC still needs Alex Smith on the field for that.
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With neither Dee Ford or Tamba Hali making an impact on the roster right now, the Chiefs are already limited at outside linebacker. In fact, Kansas City has already been getting Tanoh Kpassagnon out on the field in relief efforts. Now they need to expand on that and get him meaningful playing time.
If Kansas City can get Tanoh Kpassagnon into a position where he’s getting starting snaps by the end of the year, it would be a huge win for the defense. Having confidence in their second round pick to play a significant role in the defense next year would allow the Chiefs to move on from Tamba Hali and Dee Ford without much concern.
It has been a rough stretch for the Kansas City Chiefs, and answers are needed. There aren’t a lot of things the team can do at this point, but getting Tanoh Kpassagnon out on the field might be something. At the very least, getting Kpassagnon experience will help the Chiefs make some decisions for 2018 and beyond.