Surprise Chiefs Player Projected for Big Role in 2024
By Joe Summers
The Chiefs prioritized roster continuity this offseason, bringing back most players who contributed to last year's second consecutive Super Bowl win.
That means fans are already familiar with most of the key producers, though Nate Taylor of The Athletic recently identified one under-the-radar player who should step into a larger role for Kansas City in the 2024-25 season.
DE Neil Farrell, originally a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Raiders, played less than 4% of the snaps last year but Taylor believes is an important player moving forward.
Chiefs DE Neil Farrell Expected to Have Bigger Role
Watching a few snaps of Neil Farrell and I'm mystified the Chiefs couldn't find a few snaps for him throughout the season.
— Seth Keysor (@RealMNchiefsfan) February 2, 2024
Lots of good stuff on this snap (writing about Tranquill now) but look at the functional strength Farrell has (92) to stand up and discard the center. pic.twitter.com/a8MzzDDCNU
"The last major transaction general manager Brett Veach made before the start of last season was to acquire Farrell, a third-year player who began his career with the rival Las Vegas Raiders," writes Taylor. "With (Chris) Jones’ contract holdout lasting longer than the Chiefs anticipated, Veach traded for Farrell, sending the Raiders a 2024 sixth-round pick."
Farrell has just 13 career tackles to his name but the former LSU standout has the strength and athleticism to be a difference-maker for Kansas City. With Charles Omenihu expected to miss up to half of the season, there should be an opportunity for Farrell to get on the field as a rotational defensive lineman.
"Farrell spent most of last season learning the Chiefs’ defensive playbook and principles. He appeared in just five games, including the postseason, and recorded two tackles and two pass breakups," Taylor continues. "Farrell should get more opportunities this season, which should help limit the workload for veterans such as Tershawn Wharton, Derrick Nnadi, and Mike Pennel."
At 6'4", 325 LBs, Farrell has the size to slide inside and the versatility to play on the edge as well. I'm excited to see what he can do, especially considering the Chiefs already have one of the NFL's most dominant defensive lines.
If Taylor is right and Farrell has a big year, you can go ahead and start planning another Super Bowl parade right now.
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