It's hard to look at a team that's been to the last two Super Bowls and wonder about roster holes; it's even harder when that team's quarterback is Pat Mahomes. Still, when active rosters usually have 53 guys (COVID-19 protocols forced that number to shrink to 48 in 2020) there's always room for improvement at one position or another. The Chiefs - who, you'll remember, lost both of their starting tackles - are no different. Here's a quick look at five places on the roster that GM Brett Veach and the rest of the front office could address in next week's NFL Draft.
1.Offensive Line
Teven Jenkins
USA Today
Gone are starting tackles Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher (at least for now). When you lose your top two guys on the outside, it probably stands to reason that you're going to try and pick their replacements early in the draft. They obviously won't be in the conversation for Oregon's Penei Sewell, Northwestern's Rashawn Slater, or even Virginia Tech's Christian Darrisaw - but the good news for Brett Veach and Co. is that this year's tackle class is deep. Teven Jenkins, out of Okalahoma State, or Stanford's Walker Little could make sense. Drafting guys up front is never as flashy as fans want in the moment, but when your offensive line sets a record for most pressures allowed in a Super Bowl (29), your work's pretty clearly cut out for you.
2.Safety
Richie Grant
USA Today
Here's a fun fact: the Chiefs currently only have one safety on the roster who's contractually obligated to stick around past this upcoming season: 2019's second-round pick Juan Thornhill. The writing's on the wall for Daniel Sorenson and Tyrann Mathieu - both good players who, for different reasons, may not have many years left in Kansas City. You can never have too much pass coverage in today's NFL, which is surely a fact that the team which employs Patrick Mahomes is well-aware of. Don't expect Kansas City to spring on a safety with that Thursday night pick, but a day two or three guy -- Indiana's Jamar Johnson or UCF's Richie Grant make sense -- could be in the cards.
3.Cornerback
Eric Stokes
USA Today
Things don't look much better in the other half of the secondary - at least not towards the top of the depth chart. Bashaud Breeland and Charvarius Ward won't be the starting duo again this season; Breeland looks like he's headed elsewhere as a free agent, and Ward's contract ends after 2021. Outside of L'Jarius Sneed, it's hard to see the long-term future of this group - which is why building depth on days two and three makes some sense. Oregon's Jevon Holland and Georgia's Eric Stokes are names to keep an eye on.
4.EDGE Rusher
Gregory Rousseau
USA Today
There's Frank Clark, and that's about it. The pass rush needs work: the sack numbers declined last year (45 in 2019 to 32 in 2020), as did many of the more in-depth analytics. Clark and his $25+ million annual salary aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so adding other EDGE guys on rookie salaries makes a bunch of sense. If the Chiefs wanted to prioritize other positions early, Miami's Gregory Rousseau and Oklahoma's Ronnie Perkins could be available in the later rounds.
5.Wide Receiver
Kadarius Toney
USA Today
You wouldn't think an offense as prolific as Kansas City's would necessarily *need* more playmakers, but any Chiefs fan (and maybe their quarterback?) would be quick to tell you how much they could use another reliable wide receiver. Sammy Watkins is a Baltimore Raven now, and while Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson are good players, the general consensus is that it's still a position of need. This year's class of pass-catchers is pretty deep as well, so in that sense, the Chiefs are in luck. Florida's Kadarius Toney and Minnesota's Rashod Bateman will probably be available at 31, but if they wanted to sit back and wait, Ole Miss's Elijah Moore and LSU's Terrace Marshall could be available.