Kansas City Chiefs Roster Breakdown in 2020

Of the 32 rosters in the National Football League, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one more explosive than Andy Reid’s. The Kansas City Chiefs depth charts may not be the most balanced in the league, and surely you could poke holes here and there on where it could be improved.

But at the end of the day, there are no answers for slowing down this offense. The defense surrendered fewer points than the 49ers did in 2019 and should be even better in 2020.

To get more familiar with what fans in KC can expect to see in the upcoming year, let’s break down the Chiefs’ roster position by position.

*Names in bold denotes player is a starter

Jordan Ta’amu was electric in the XFL, and Chad Henne is a capable backup, but the plan is for neither of them to see the field at all in 2019. Patrick Mahomes is in a class by himself when it comes to ranking the best QBs in the sport, and the scary part is he’s just now entering his prime.

As great as the Chiefs roster is, my 2020 NFL MVP pick is the main reason this franchise is favored to win Super Bowl 55. 

Damien Williams shined in the Super Bowl and is an underrated running back. With that being said, he’ll get brushed aside into more of a secondary role now that Clyde Edwards-Helaire has arrived.

The LSU product fits Andy Reid’s system like a glove and will immediately plug in as a true weapon for Mahomes and this offense.

Most NFL teams are lucky if they have one or two “burners” on their roster. Then there are the Chiefs, who have a handful.

It starts with Tyreek Hill. The “Cheetah” can leak behind the defense at the drop of a hat and is nearly impossible to guard in man-to-man coverage. Sammy Watkins lines up on the outside and can still terrorize cornerbacks, while Mecole Hardman is one of the true fantasy football WR sleepers.

KC may not be deep at tight end, but here’s the tradeoff.

Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the league and rarely comes off the field.

Established as Mahomes’ most reliable target, Travis has reeled in 200 balls for well over 2,500 yards over the last two seasons.

Ricky Seals-Jones replaces Blake Bell and could be involved in a few red zone packages. 

Four of the five members of Andy Reid’s starting offensive line return intact in 2020. Stefan Wisniewski moved on to Pittsburgh, but Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti were going to be pushing him for PT anyway.

Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz are penciled in on the outside, and depth was added in the form of Lucas Niang (3^rd-round draft pick in 2020) and Mike Remmers (free agency).

There’s a bit of noise rumbling in Kansas City after Chris Jones tweeted that he might not play in 2020. My gut tells me something will get worked out as Jones would be crazy to pass on another golden opportunity to win a Super Bowl.

After all, Jones was tagged in March and is due to make over $16 million this season.

Frank Clark is the nastiest pass rusher on the Chiefs’ roster and will be moved around as a hybrid DE/OLB.

Anthony Hitchens and Damien Wilson finished “1-2” in terms of Kansas City’s leading tacklers in 2019. Both are back and ready to contribute, but allow me to introduce a rookie set to break out.

As Jordan Foote of si.com stated, Willie Gay Jr. represents everything the Chiefs have been missing at linebacker. Willie is an athletic freak with an incredible motor, and he’s a guy that Steve Spagnuolo can’t wait to get on the field. 

If you want to nitpick the Kansas City Chiefs’ depth chart, this is the one area that could use a boost. L’Jarius Snead arrives via the fourth round of the draft as a cornerback/safety with a lot of promise. Nonetheless, it may take some time for Snead to get caught up with the speed of the NFL.

Charvarius Ward is fairly dependable, so the opposition will look to attack Bashaud Breeland.

The back end of the Chiefs’ D is solidified thanks to being guided by Tyrann Mathieu — one of the truly elite safeties in the NFL. Juan Thornhill looked awesome as a rookie before getting hurt late in the year, but veteran Daniel Sorenson was there to pick up the slack.

Between these three guys, “Spags’” secondary should have no problem holding their own.

Hovering at first or second in every single fantasy football kicker rankings you’ll encounter, Harrison Butker is about as close to a sure thing as you’re going to find among NFL kickers. Butker led the league in made kicks in 2019 and has successfully booted 90% of his attempts since entering the professional ranks.

Coach Reid has the luxury of not having to use Tyreek Hill as the primary return man. He’s got Mecole Hardman’s blazing quickness to thank.

I’m not in the business of handing out A+’s, but the Kansas City Chiefs depth chart is top-notch.

The defense quietly turned things around late in the year and has a chance to be a top-10 unit in 2020. The special teams group is top-tier, and there aren’t many words to describe just how good the offense is.

First-rate. A-1.

I happen to like “transcendent.”

Or how about simply “the best in the NFL”?  

There are a couple of juicy Tyreek Hill props. Backing KC to cruise to the AFC West title goes without saying.

A few more ways to bet on the Chiefs in 2020 are to tackle their win total and playoff odds. Of course, I picked Kansas City to win Super Bowl 54 in 2019, and that worked out nicely.

Perhaps we head back to the Chiefs well for more.