Chiefs Roster: Setting expectations for Felix Anudike-Uzomah in 2024

The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ 2023 season ended with one other Tremendous Bowl victory that required important contributions from many first and second-year gamers.

One younger participant who didn’t make many waves was rookie defensive finish Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

The previous first-round choose from Lee’s Summit, Missouri (by means of Kansas State) had a quiet first season. This was not a shock. The group knew Anudike-Uzomah may want a while to develop — and {that a} strong group of edge defenders can be obtainable in 2023. The presence of defensive ends George Karlaftis, Charles Omenihu and Mike Danna — and on passing downs, defensive sort out Chris Jones — made it exhausting for Anudike-Uzomah to search out the sphere persistently.

Almost all of Kansas Metropolis’s defensive position will return for 2024 — so Anudike-Uzomah will once more must combat for enjoying time. Whereas many followers can have excessive expectations for him, we should keep in mind he’s nonetheless growing as a participant. Nonetheless, if the group may set up a real position for him, that may assist transfer his profession in the appropriate course.

What we noticed in 2023

As a rookie, Anudike-Uzomah performed solely 211 defensive snaps. In 146 of these, he was a cross rusher. He completed the season with 14 tackles (eight solo, two for loss), half a sack, a compelled fumble and 9 quarterback pressures.

Popping out of faculty, it was anticipated that Anudike-Uzomah’s lack of dimension and power would restrict his skill towards the run — so the Chiefs used him totally on passing downs.

On this play, the Denver Broncos attempt a zone run. An H-back goes flat down the road to chop off Anudike-Uzomah, who’s the again aspect EDGE. He makes use of the unsuitable arm to tackle the blocker — and his eyes are by no means within the backfield. The operating again makes his reduce off the H-back’s block. All Anudike-Uzomah can do is flip and watch the operating again go by.

Whereas this play has extra to do with recognizing the place the ball goes than it does with Anudike-Uzomah’s bodily capabilities, it nonetheless shows points he must right.

As a cross rusher, Anudike-Uzomah’s pace and quickness pop off the display. He nonetheless must develop his enjoying power, however we’ve got seen sufficient transient flashes of energy to consider it may be improved.

On this play, Taylor Decker will get out of his stance shortly to match Anudike-Uzomah’s pace — however he shortly redirects to the within, firing each arms into Decker’s chest. The blow knocks Decker again into the pocket, forcing the quarterback’s fast throw.

What we will count on in 2024

The obvious position Anudike-Uzomah may play in Kansas Metropolis this season can be as a chosen cross rusher or a cross speeding specialist — very similar to throughout his rookie season. To broaden this position, he might want to play extra persistently.

Throughout this play within the common season’s ultimate sport, Anudike-Uzomah used a short flash of energy to knock left sort out Rashawn Slater into the backfield. You’ll be able to see him explode into Slater earlier than extending into his cross rush.

This rush is okay — however with a bit extra energy and power, Anudike-Uzomah would have been in a position to strain the pocket much more.

Simply as they did in 2023, the Chiefs are once more seemingly to make use of Anudike-Uzomah for stunts and twists.

Right here we see him run a sort out/finish stunt with Michael Danna through which the sort out penetrates the skin whereas the top loops round to the within. As Danna pulls the guard additional into the B-gap, Anudike-Uzomah prices towards the middle and delivers a shot to his chest.

Seeing this, the quarterback begins to step up into the pocket. Simply as he throws the ball, Anudike-Uzomah will get previous the middle and delivers a giant hit.

He may additionally assist as a blitzer. In a number of of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unique blitz packages, Anudike-Uzomah was the defender who took benefit of an offensive line’s safety guidelines.

Because the protection reveals blitz on this play, the left sort out blocks the within defender, who would (in principle) have the quickest path to the quarterback. However the offense’s blocking guidelines don’t account for Anudike-Uzomah’s quickness off the sting. Let’s be truthful: everybody appears good after they’re unblocked. However the rookie will get into the backfield shortly sufficient that the quarterback has no likelihood to make a throw.

An identical play additionally allowed Anudike-Uzomah to make a key play within the Tremendous Bowl.

Because the Chiefs match our bodies to cease the San Francisco 49ers’ operating sport, Anudike-Uzomah as soon as once more takes benefit of the offensive line’s blocking guidelines, utilizing his quickness to penetrate the B-gap. Within the zone blocking scheme, the appropriate sort out isn’t accountable for the B-gap — however the appropriate guard is occupied with serving to the middle cease the 3-technique defender. This enables Anudike-Uzomah to blow into the backfield and drop the operating again for a loss.

The underside line

Most of Anudike-Uzomah’s 2023 enjoying time got here throughout Charles Omenihu’s early-season suspension. Since Omenihu is now recovering from an ACL damage suffered through the postseason, Anudike-Uzomah is prone to get important snaps through the season’s opening weeks. And whereas he may not but be prepared for a full workload, we must always nonetheless see him on the sphere extra usually than we did after Omenhiu returned final season. For the reason that Chiefs retained virtually all of their veteran defensive linemen, Anudike-Uzomah will nonetheless be given time to hone his expertise, however seeing him on the sphere extra persistently can be an awesome signal for his future.