Kansas City Chiefs: Five Defensive Players to Watch in 2018

With the Kansas City Chiefs training camp just weeks away, the momentum is building for the 2018 season. The offense appears to have some really great firepower in place, but what about the defense?

Finishing as the 28th ranked defense last season gives the Kansas City Chiefs a lot of room to improve. With the departure of names like Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali, and Marcus Peters, there is some uncertainty about how this unit looks moving forward.

Does it look better or does it look worse? The following five players are some names that Chiefs fans should watch as the defense looks to improve. 

JUSTIN HOUSTON

Just a few seasons ago, Justin Houston was one of the premiere pass rushers in the league. Now, he doesn’t even appear on this list of top ten pass rushers for the upcoming season. While he had a solid 2017 season in which he bounced back from injury, he still didn’t come close to the numbers from his incredible 2014 season.

Chiefs Kingdom looks for Houston to have a big season for a couple of reasons. First, he’s being paid a king’s ransom and should have the performance to match. He ranks as the second highest paid among all outside linebackers. This should be reason enough to expect production closer to his numbers before he was given the big contract.

The second reason is that the window of his prime is quickly closing. At 29 years old he should have at least two, potentially three, really great seasons left. Chiefs fans don’t have to look any further than the beloved Tamba Hali to see how fast a career can tail off and to see how hard a football career is on a player’s body.

Here’s to hoping for a big season for Houston and a return to a revered name among the league’s top pass rushers.