Kansas City Chiefs: Is Dick Vermeil drafting the defense for Andy Reid?
By John McCarty
The Kansas City Chiefs defensive selections the past four seasons have been bad. Former coach Dick Vermeil on defense bad.
Since the new era of Andy Reid and John Dorsey (and now Brett Veach) rode into town, they brought an ability to coordinate the offense, find some good diamonds in the rough, and drafted a quarterback, something that has been a long time in waiting.
However, what this regime in all its forms has been unable to figure out is where to find defensive talent. If we want to ask why the Kansas City Chiefs defense looks as awful as it does and want to look past simply blaming Bob Sutton, we take a look at the NFL Draft.
Listed below are the players drafted by the Chiefs with the number of games they started for the Chiefs. Players named italicized are still with the team. All information courtesy of NFL.com
2013:
4(99) Nico Johnson -1
5(134) Sanders Commings -0
7(207) Mike Catapano -0
2014:
1(23) OLB Dee Ford -25
3(87) CB Phillip Gaines -16
2015:
1(18) CB Marcus Peters -45
3(98) CB Steve Nelson -22
4(118) LB Ramik Wilson -17
5(172) LB DJ Alexander -1
6(217) DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches -16
2016:
2(37) DL Chris Jones -18
3(74) CB KeiVarae Russell -0
4(106) S Eric Murray -2
6(178) CB DJ White -0
6(203) OLB Dadi Nicholas -0
2017:
2(59) DL/LB Tahoh Kpassagnon -1
5(183) LB Ukeme Eligwe -1
6(218) S Leon McQuay -1
2018:
2(46) LB Breeland Speaks
3(75) DT Derrick Nnadi
3(100) LB Dorian O’Daniel
4(124) S Armani Watts
6(196) CB Tremon Smith
What is the most pointed and telling data we see? In a short period of time (5 years) the Chiefs have used a bunch of draft picks on players that are no longer with the team. Highlighted perhaps by 2016 third round pick Keivarae Russell, who was released by the Chiefs after a single game in his rookie preseason.
In fact, in their first three years in town, Dorsey and Reid selected ten combined defensive players. Those selections should be growing into veteran leaders on this roster, but instead are elsewhere. All but two of them. We wait to figure out what exactly Steven Nelson can be and Dee Ford, as a first-round pick aside from a few games has been a disappointment.
Why is this relevant? Simple. When teams continue to miss on players and positions over and over, they have to use draft resources over and over to re-draft positions. In three of the past four years, the Chiefs have used a selection in the top 60 in an effort to find a pass rusher outside opposite of Justin Houston.
While they do that, other positions and organizational depth suffer. Much like what happened during the end of the Vermeil era, when they just could not find a defensive tackle to save themselves and missed on so many defensive draft picks that the offense continued to get old, eventually leading to no talent anywhere on the roster.
During the Reid era, Eric Fisher and Mitch Morse are the only offensive lineman selected in the first three rounds of the draft. The Chiefs have serious depth issues not to mentioned they are trying and appear to be failing at making a starting offensive lineman out of Cam Erving. In the event something happens to Mitch Morse, anyone know who the replacement is? Also, Morse is a free agent after this season, along with a long list of other players.
Do we mention the issues along the defensive line? Yes, Chris Jones appears to be a budding star and will likely require a contract extension this offseason, and rookie Derrick Nnadi appears to be okay. Past that, the top backup is journeyman Jarvis Jenkins and a large collection of unknown. Allen Bailey, the starter opposite Jones along with Jenkins is set to be a free agent after this season. Fear not, a trend is going to show up.
The reasons behind Marcus Peters trade are technically unknown despite anyone and everyone has their reasons and beliefs as to why it happened. Current starters Steve Nelson has been an in the lineup then out corner most known for multiple holding penalties against the Jets that absolutely sent Marcus Peters into another universe.
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David Amerson was flat awful with the Oakland Raiders in 2017 and let’s be honest, has not looked good thus far in games, yielding catches and picking up penalties. Recently signed Orlando Scandrick was released by the Washington Redskins in camp after they lost two of their top three corners this past offseason (Fuller with the Chiefs and Breeland and his never-ending free agency tour). Outside of Fuller, the top three corners on the Chiefs depth chart, Amerson, Nelson, and Scandrick are all free agents after this season.
If Tanoh Kpassagnon is unable to get past Ford, it would appear going into the 2018 season, this regime would have drafted three starters in the past five years. That isn’t bad, that’s terrible. That’s, well, that is Dick Vermeil level bad.
Recent draft picks on defense have to work out because quite simply, the Chiefs can’t afford to continue to redraft positions. Too many positions are in need of attention and depth this offseason. Both lines will need youth. The tight end spot behind Travis Kelce appears to be a cluster of disaster.
And safety depth, despite the draft picks, is still a grab bag of meh. With players such as Chris Jones and Tyreek Hill needed to get contracts done this offseason along with addressing so many of the previously mentioned issues with depth, that
35 million in 2019 salary cap room
disappears quickly.