Chiefs Information: New ESPN rating lists roster among the many league’s greatest

On Tuesday, ESPN revealed a rating of the NFL’s 2024 rosters. Analysts Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder every ranked a projection of each NFL beginning lineup (and a twelfth participant who rotates into the lineup for both sides of the ball) by contemplating the expertise, age and manufacturing of each participant. These rankings had been then mixed.

After being listed first within the 2023 rating, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ 2024 roster was ranked second behind the San Francisco 49ers’ squad. The Baltimore Ravens’ roster was third.

Largest energy: Quarterback. That is the simplest decide I’ll make, so I’ll simply replace what I wrote right here final yr: Two-time league MVP Patrick Mahomes has already received the Tremendous Bowl and the Tremendous Bowl MVP thrice every. He achieved each of these final season — regardless of a considerable drop-off in scoring (29.2 PPG in 2022 to 21.8 in 2023) — additional cementing himself because the league’s greatest participant. Mahomes is 28 years outdated, and his dominant reign is way from over. — Clay

When the story of this era within the Chiefs’ franchise historical past is lastly advised, a lot of it’ll middle on Mahomes’ superb expertise. However what he and his teammates confirmed us in 2023 went far past their talents on the sector.

Following the bye week, the workforce posted a 2-4 report — after which after a humiliating house loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day, received six straight matchups to win its second consecutive championship.

That takes management. A few of it comes from head coach Andy Reid (After beginning the 2015 season 1-5, the Chiefs received 10 straight to make the playoffs). However the remainder comes from Mahomes. Kansas Metropolis does — and can — lose some video games. That’s the NFL. However so long as Mahomes is on the sector, a recreation isn’t over.

Largest weak spot: Offensive sort out. Kansas Metropolis has finished quite a bit proper in recent times, however the four-year, $80 million deal handed to RT Jawaan Taylor final offseason stays a significant head-scratcher. Taylor struggled once more in 2023, posting poor marks in run block win fee whereas rating prime 10 amongst tackles in pressures, hits and hurries allowed. A fair bigger concern is left sort out, with Donovan Smith out and the likes of Wanya Morris (a 2023 third-rounder who performed 324 snaps), Lucas Niang (67 snaps over the previous two seasons) and rookie Kingsley Suamataia competing for the job. — Clay

That is correct. Despithe greatest efforts of basic supervisor Brett Veach, neither finish of the offensive line has actually been been stable since proper sort out Mitchell Schwartz and left sort out Eric Fisher had been injured within the 2020 season. Might Taylor grow to be the bookend the workforce anticipated him to be when he was signed a yr in the past? Who will in the end grow to be the workforce’s left sort out — and can they symbolize the longer term on Mahomes’ blind aspect? The Chiefs badly have to know.

X issue for 2024: Receivers Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy. The Chiefs received Tremendous Bowl LVIII with a significant weak spot at huge receiver, however don’t neglect that this workforce struggled on offense for many of final season. Kansas Metropolis wanted reinforcements on the place, and Brown and Worthy are it. Whether or not they can ship stays to be seen; Brown is coming off a career-low season when it comes to yards per route run and ESPN’s receiver monitoring metrics, and Worthy is a rookie. Particularly with Rashee Rice’s availability in query, whether or not Brown can rebound and Worthy can hit the bottom working will decide which type of Chiefs offense we get in 2024. — Walder

Walder could have hit this one proper on the button. It’s honest to surprise if Brown can grow to be an elite wideout — but when there’s a greater solution to discover out than catching passes from Mahomes, I don’t know what it’s. Simply as with Rice in 2023, it might take a short while for Worthy to get his footing and grow to be a dependable contributor — however the expertise is there.

It’s additionally honest to surprise if the season’s greatest unknown will likely be with the league’s kickoff items. There’s about to be lots of confusion — if not outright bedlam — as groups strive to determine one of the simplest ways to strategy the league’s new kickoff guidelines. Kansas Metropolis particular groups coordinator Dave Toub will doubtless be incomes each dime of his 2024 wage.

Nonstarter to know: Linebacker Leo Chenal. Chenal is the third linebacker when the Chiefs go to a base protection. He was excellent in Tremendous Bowl LVIII, with a compelled fumble and a blocked further level. Chenal could be very sturdy towards the run, and his common run-game sort out final season got here after a achieve of simply 2.3 yards. He additionally had 13 pressures when speeding the passer. His move protection is an issue, although. — Schatz

Chenal’s postseason efficiency was a possible issue within the workforce’s determination to maneuver on from linebacker Willie Homosexual Jr., who ended up signing a one-year, $3 million cope with the New Orleans Saints. He will definitely be a participant to observe this season.

One other will likely be rookie tight finish Jared Wiley. Will the workforce instantly use him to assist reduce the load for famous person Travis Kelce, or will it select to convey him alongside extra slowly? That reply will go a great distance towards predicting what Kelce may do after 2024.