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Kansas City Chiefs: Five players who may be underrated

By Chris Taylor

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - NOVEMBER 19: The Kansas City Chiefs huddle against the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on November 19, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - NOVEMBER 19: The Kansas City Chiefs huddle against the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on November 19, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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ARLINGTON, TX – NOVEMBER 23: Anthony Hitchens #59 of the Dallas Cowboys looks over the offense at the line of scrimmage during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. The Chargers defeated the Cowboys 28-6. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX – NOVEMBER 23: Anthony Hitchens #59 of the Dallas Cowboys looks over the offense at the line of scrimmage during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. The Chargers defeated the Cowboys 28-6. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Anthony Hitchens

When the Chiefs made the move to bring Anthony Hitchens to Kansas City, many fans didn’t know exactly who he was. This went down as perhaps an under the radar move by Brett Veach and company. Over four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys he had 312 total tackles, which is underwhelming for sure.

Those numbers aren’t exactly what you want to replace a legend like Derrick Johnson with. In reality, he possibly just wasn’t a good fit in Dallas. There were plenty of Cowboys fans who suggested the Chiefs got a pretty good player, there were also plenty who said good riddance.

So who are the Chiefs getting? In my personal opinion, the Chiefs now have a set of inside linebackers that almost mirror each other in skill set and appearance. Playing next to Reggie Ragland, who is quickly becoming a fan favorite should pack a meaner punch than that of Ragland and Kevin Pierre-Louis from last season.

Looking back at Hitchens’ career at Iowa, the numbers he put up shouldn’t be ignored. Having only started his junior and senior years, he racked up 236 tackles combined. His junior year he led the Big Ten in tackles with 124. His senior year he had 13.5 tackles for loss, which shows he has the ability to make plays before the line of scrimmage.

Look for Hitchens to adapt well, making the most of the bulk of snaps he will likely receive this season. It should be a monster year for the duo of inside linebackers.

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