3 Moves the Chiefs Need to Make to Stay Ahead of Texans

The Texans are coming for the Chiefs' crown after a series of stellar offseason moves, highlighted by Wednesday's stunning trade for star WR Stefon Diggs.

There's a strong argument to be made that Houston now stands as the biggest threat to Kansas City's AFC supremacy, especially if C.J. Stroud continues to improve in his second year. We'll get to see the Chiefs host the Texans at some point in the 2024 season and Brett Veach should be vigilant in improving the roster throughout the rest of the offseason to ensure the kings stay atop their throne.

With that in mind, let's look at three moves the Chiefs need to make to ensure they stay the favorites to win the AFC for a third consecutive year.

3 Moves the Chiefs Need to Make to Stay AFC Favorites

1. Draft a WR in the First or Second Round

The Chiefs have done a nice job bringing talent into the offense, notably signing Hollywood Brown to a team-friendly deal to inject some speed, though the wide receiving group is still thin and needs at least one more capable pass catcher.

I've been a proponent of both signing one more veteran WR and drafting one, slotting the Chiefs to take a second-round wideout in both of my mock drafts so far. Either way, it's imperative to take a WR early in a draft class as deep as this one.

Given Rashee Rice's ongoing legal situation, it's possible he misses some time to begin the regular season. Even if he plays the entire year with no suspension, Kansas City can separate itself from the competition by fixing the biggest weakness of last year's team.

Houston might have the best WR group in the entire NFL right now. Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell are all stellar talents. With Stroud and promising offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik in addition to offseason acquisition Joe Mixon, the Texans certainly have a dangerous offense.

I'll take Patrick Mahomes every day of the week, but I'd feel better if the Chiefs continue bolstering the pass-catching group ahead of the season.

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2. Re-Sign DE Mike Danna

I don't really understand why Danna is still a free agent. The Chiefs no longer have $19.8 million in the salary cap tied to L'Jarius Sneed's franchise tag, and Danna was extremely productive in his role on the defensive line last year.

To be frank, I'm surprised no team has tried to sign Danna yet either. He had 5.5 sacks in the first eight weeks of the season, the initial six of which he was starting in Charles Omenihu's place during Omenihu's suspension, and shined when on the field throughout the rest of the year as well.

Overall, the former fifth-round pick finished with 50 tackles, 21 pressures, 6.5 sacks, and three deflected passes. Re-signing him would bring everyone back from the 2023 defensive line, solidifying the foundation of the NFL's best defense.

He's been with the Chiefs all four years of his career and that familiarity with Steve Spagnuolo's scheme goes a long way. Continuity is important for championship teams, so I fully expect a reunion at some point in the coming weeks.

With Danna, Omenihu, Chris Jones, George Karlaftis and 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas City would once again have a defensive front that terrorizes offenses with regularity.

You want to cement the Chiefs as favorites to win a third straight Super Bowl? Get Danna back on the team.

3. Solidify the Left Tackle Position

The biggest remaining question for the 2024-25 roster is who will play left tackle. Last year's starter, Donovan Smith, is still a free agent while the team hasn't yet committed to 2023 third-round pick Wanya Morris to fill the role.

It's possible Morris gets the nod, though he wasn't spectacular when he filled in for Smith near the end of last season. He was serviceable, but I'd feel better about the offensive line as a whole if some competition was brought in.

I believe the Chiefs may draft the left tackle of the future in the first round and use Morris as more of a depth piece, though it's unclear at this point.

To Morris' credit, he certainly showed promise that he could be that left tackle for years to come. His tape was inconsistent, though he had enough positive plays to give me optimism about his long-term outlook.

If the Chiefs believe Morris is the guy, I'll trust their opinion. That being said, the lack of public commitment to the third-round pick does give me pause.

Whichever direction Kansas City decides to go, they'll need a quality left tackle to ensure the talented AFC pass rushers can't attack Mahomes' blind side with regularity.

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