The Kansas City Chiefs have undergone many changes on the defensive side of the ball this offseason.
The Chiefs will have a new secondary in 2026, thanks to the departures of Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Bryan Cook. Kansas City will also have to replace linebacker Leo Chenal, who signed a three-year deal with the Washington Commanders in free agency.
Losing Chenal was always a possibility for the Chiefs, given that they already have Nic Bolton and Drue Tranquill, and another team could offer him a bigger role. However, with Chenal’s exit, it now creates an opportunity for last year’s fifth-round pick, Jeffrey Bassa, to possibly make a huge leap in Year 2.
However, Bassa won’t be sure of that possibility until the 2026 NFL draft later this month, where the Chiefs could look to take a linebacker. Linebacker is a position of need for K.C., not only due to Chenal’s departure, but Tranquill, who took a pay cut to stay with the team, is set to become a free agent after the 2026 season.
Therefore, if the Chiefs opt to go linebacker within its first three rounds, it could spell bad news for Bassa or even Tranquill. The only thing that Bassa can do is control what he can control and build off what he did last season.
Jeffrey Bassa Is Ideal Candidate for Bigger Role with Chiefs in 2026
The former Oregon Ducks defender actually saw playing time in all 17 games last year, mostly on special teams. However, Kansas City finally gave him a shot to display his talents in Week 18 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
In that game, Bassa recorded two tackles and only allowed one completion for six yards across 22 defensive snaps. For it being the regular season finale, there’s only so much that one can take away from it.
But for Kansas City, it gave them an early look at a potential Chenal replacement. Bassa will have some huge shoes to fill, as Chenal was the perfect Chiefs LB. He was solid against the run with a 76.2 grade and was stellar in pass coverage with a 72.6 grade, per Pro Football Focus.
Coming out of Oregon last year, Bassa was known for his athleticism, which could allow him to play inside or middle linebacker. Additionally, he did a good job attacking downhill in the running game.
In his final year with the Ducks, PFF graded Bassa, who played inside linebacker, with a 75.6 tackling grade and a 72.1 run defense grade.Â
Nonetheless, if the Chiefs wanted to take the draft route to add to the LB unit, they would have some options available, such as Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez, Mizzou’s Josiah Trotter, or Cincinnati’s Jake Golday.
According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, Rodriguez is projected to go in the second round, along with Trotter and Golday. The Chiefs have the No. 40 overall pick, which is a good spot to go for a linebacker if they handle their business in the first round.
That being said, if the Chiefs don’t take a linebacker there or anywhere in the draft, all hope is not lost, as they do have Bassa. Fans wanted to see the young guys play more last season, and they’ll have to do that again this season, given their situation on defense.Â