Kansas City Chiefs 2023 Preview: The Impeccable Duo of Patrick Mahomes And Andy Reid

As discussed in the Bills 2023 Preview, the Chiefs are on the thrown of the NFL, and they’ll be fighting to stay on as teams like the Bills and Bengals are hungry to take over. The duo of Pat Mahomes and Andy Reid is as overwhelming and impeccable as any duo in sports. Andy Reid is a brilliant and innovative offensive mind, which is crucial. In addition, Mahomes is at the peak of his powers and continues to make miraculous plays, especially when they need it most. Yes, the overall roster doesn’t stack up well with teams like the Eagles and Niners. However, this coach-QB combo is the most tremendous factor in the league. Travis Kelce is still cooking, and I expect young Receivers to step up in this culture. I love the youth on this team to go along with the vets, and I buy into this team as the number one favorite to win it all.

There were a handful of crucial losses and additions made by the Chiefs this past off-season. Felix Anudike-Uzomah is an ideal EDGE for this team and has an excellent floor. That makes up for the Frank Clark loss, and Anudike-Uzomah could be even better. Additionally, Charles Omenihu was an under-the-radar signing that bolsters the D-Line depth. While losing both Tackles is a detrimental blow, Jawaan Taylor is an exceptional successor, and Donovan Smith will do for now at LT. Juan Thornhill was a planned loss, as he was somewhat inconsistent, and Bryan Cook has a superior upside. Bringing in Mike Edwards also ensures quality play from their Dime sets. The most significant loss of the off-season is arguably the Eric Bieniemy departure. However, Matt Nagy had a year to get back on track and should pick up where Bieniemy left off as the OC. With mostly the same team, there’s no reason to expect anything but world-class play from the Chiefs in 2023.

I watched all 22 footage on every team and reconciled it with advanced stats such as PFF. Based on film and stats, I develop grades for every position by using a formula that takes into account every player on the depth chart. Shout out to TFG for inspiring this kind of content. Please use code TREYSCHNEIDER on Underdog Fantasy to match your deposit up to $100. Gamble responsibly and leave your feedback on Twitter @FBIntellect.

Key

Grading scale: 20-100.

(+): The player is expected to improve.

Player Tiers:

Team Overview

Coaching Staff

Andy Reid has been at the top of football as a head coach since drafting Mahomes. What he did to have a highly efficient offense with Alex Smith was impressive. Since Mahomes was drafted, Reid has dominated and set forth a dynasty. He has continued to make a highly conducive situation for Mahomes, year in and year out. His ability to adapt and take what defenses have given him is why he has not just one ring but two. It’s hard to rank his culture quite as high as some other coaches. The Chiefs are known for having questionable characters on the roster, so they grade out .5 less than the top three teams. I still love this culture, as we’ve seen a ton of development from young players. Andy Reid is the best play-caller in the NFL right now, and if you’d like to hear an in-depth analysis of him, read “Who Is The Best Offensive Play-Caller in Football?“

Matt Nagy is here to add influence and insight to the offensive play-calling. Nagy showed a lot of creativity early on as a head coach but subsequently dropped off. If he can tap back into some of that creativity, the Chiefs will be fine without Bieniemy. This offensive scheme used to be predicated on a vertical passing attack, and now it’s more of a horizontal passing attack. When the league adapted to the vertical passing offense, Reid had to adapt, too, and he started attacking the intermediate part of the field much more. Cover Four’s biggest weakness is its vulnerability to shallow routes. Reid realized this and took advantage of it. He also started to buy into the run last year with Pacheco and ran a lot of screens. It’s safe to say Andy Reid is a master of creativity and innovation. He has an awe-inspiring list of coaches he’s influenced, and Reid will continue to make this team a legitimate contender until he retires.

Steve Spagnuola is one of the most experienced DCs in football. The best thing about Spags is that he is very adaptable, similar to Reid. He’ll practically run every coverage in the book and is typically relatively balanced when it comes to calling plays. He does like to blitz a bit in general. It depended on the opponent, as some games were blitz-heavy while others were the opposite. He ranked 14th in blitz percentage last year at 24.2%. There’s minimal cover three compared to others and a lot of cover two. The Chiefs also ranked 5th in zero blitzing. Another noteworthy observation was that there weren’t many stunts used last year granted no one was a freak athlete here. With many excellent defensive minds right now, it’s hard for Spags to rank too high, but I think he knows what he’s doing.

Chief Offense

Overall Offense – 89.2 (1)

The Chiefs established themselves as having an elite offense years ago and have maintained sovereignty. While not quite as explosive as the Tyreek days, the Chiefs have what it takes to be an incredibly efficient offense. Patrick Mahomes doesn’t need this elite Receiving core to exude dominance. With some of the best pass-pro in the league, these Receivers will have extra time to get open. Mahomes elevates the talent around him and has Travis Kelce to rely on. Everyone knows how absurdly talented Mahomes is, so I don’t need to break down his traits like I usually would.

Kelce is one of the few ageless wonders in the NFL. His agility and change of direction at his age is staggering. He makes Linebackers look foolish trying to cover him. You could certainly say Kelce is the best Receiving Tight End ever to play. Kansas City is fortunate to have him on a relatively cheap deal. Outside of Kelce, there’s no one significant to back him up. That could be a problem, but it hasn’t been in the past.

There’s no clear number one Receiver here, and I expect them to move around a lot. Kadarius Toney is the best true Receiver they have. I loved his potential when I evaluated him in college, and he could step up in a big way here. His quickness allows him to be a legitimate RAC threat, and he pairs that with surprisingly good ball skills. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is here to be their deep threat and is a very up-and-down player. He truly had the worst hands I’ve ever seen in a Receiver a couple of years ago. However, he has improved in that area recently.

Skyy Moore is who you might see the most in the Slot. He has the upside to be a perimeter threat but has a long way to go. His hands are secure, but he also doesn’t have the best catch radius. Rashee Rice is an intriguing rookie with a ton of potential. He is an unrefined route runner, although the Chiefs are excellent at developing these guys. I have a good feeling about Rice in this offense, and he’s also had an impressive training camp. There are a few other notable Receivers who could see reps as well. While there’s no X-Receiver, the Receiving core is deep and filled with youth.

Isiah Pacheco was one of the many surprise rookies from 2022. He has the two things I love in a Back – he’s explosive and just runs hard. His contact balance improved as the year went on, and I’d be surprised if he didn’t improve more. Jerick McKinnon is a quality receiving-back despite his age. He is a twitched-up athlete who only until recently struggled with injuries. CEH intrigued me as a draft prospect, but he disappointed in the pros. He’s still good depth, and it makes for a deep room.

One of the most significant reasons the Chiefs rank first is this O-Line. This is my favorite interior, and a massive addition was also made to the Tackle spot. Donovan Smith may be lacking as a run blocker, but he is still very solid in pass-pro. He’ll undoubtedly get beat by some elite guys but will hold up fine in most games. Joe Thuney is phenomenal in pass-pro while also being a well-refined run blocker. He actually played Tackle in college but moved to Guard due to lack of arm length. You can tell by how athletic and quick he is. Additionally, he has developed some of the best hands in pass-pro you’ll see in an O-Linemen. Creed Humphrey unrightfully fell in the draft years ago, and the rest of the league sits in regret over passing on him. He is the ideal Center for this offense that greatly mixes up the run game.

Trey Smith has quietly been an excellent Guard. He had a ton of potential coming out but fell due to injury problems, and he’s had no issue staying healthy so far. His power and ability to drive defenders is perfect for the gap schemes they love to run. Jawaan Taylor is basically the younger, more athletic version of Donovan Smith. He isn’t the best run blocker but a fantastic pass-protector. He gets adequate depth and handles bend well against speed rushers. This group has no genuine weak link, and there’s an elite player to depend on. Mahomes will have plenty of time to get through his reads, and that’ll limit turnovers. You start to see why this offense grades so high with a ridiculous coach-QB duo and this kind of O-line play.

Chiefs Defense

Overall Defense – 81.5 (11)

The Chiefs’ defense might have the best year they’ve ever had under Spanuola in 2023. It’s not like anyone significant left, and there are a bunch of young guys who should get better. In a year where most of the top-tier team’s defenses got worse, the Chiefs are fortunate to have practically the same group. Trent McDuffie is essentially the number one Corner here, and his potential is elite. His burst and fluidity are rare, and he is highly intelligent. He isn’t the best in press coverage, but he has the makeup tools to compensate. Jaylen Watson will be the other perimeter Corner on nickel downs. L’Jarius Sneed will play on base downs, but he’ll be in the Slot most plays. Watson stepped up when they desperately needed him to last year. He’s still young and will make many mistakes, but I expect growth.

Furthermore, Sneed is easily a top-three nickel Corner in the league. He has a unique skill set as he’s big and has tremendous long speed. He can cover Tight Ends and has the quickness to cover shifty Slots, making him a versatile asset. Joshua Williams is also a solid Dime Corner. He has size and can press, making him a good matchup player. Nic Jones will be thrust in if someone goes down, and who knows what he’ll be like. That’s something to watch for this year.

Justin Reid is another versatile player who does a little bit of everything as a Safety. He has the range to play single high, the willingness to play the run, and can match up against Tight Ends one-on-one. I consistently see him around the ball, and I’d imagine he’s great for the locker room. The Chiefs will be relying on Bryan Cook to step as he will be the full-time starter this year. While he’s very young and unproven, his athletic tools give him the potential to break out here. Mike Edwards will be a fine third safety to have. The overall secondary depth could be better, but I’d be surprised if it were an issue.

Moreover, this is a fascinating Linebacking room that is well constructed. Nick Bolton is a stud Mike Linebacker, which is very challenging to find. He isn’t the best coverage guy, but he is constantly around the football and making plays. His skill set is very old school, but it benefits a team like this. Willie Gay has been one of my favorites, and I hope he breaks out soon. He’s improved a bit but still hasn’t taken that next step up. His size-speed combo is rare, allowing him to flash high-end moments in coverage. He still has a long way to go, but my god, his potential is high.

Leo Chenal is another player I loved coming out and could easily break out in this culture. He’s another size-athletism freak and just needs to develop. Chenal can effectively be used as a blitzer until he comes along in coverage. Drue Tranquil is also here to add to the depth, and he will be decent when he’s out there. I genuinely think this Linebacking core is top ten due to the depth and high-end play from Bolton.

With a world-class pass rusher and multiple young guys with potential, this D-Line has a bright future. That is, of course, if Chris Jones stays with the team. Currently, he’s holding out to get paid, but I think a deal gets done. Assuming he stays, he’s a world-beater who makes every bit of difference for this pass rush. I foresee Jones dominating for at least two more seasons. His power and an elite get-off make for an unstoppable force. Similar to Aaron Donald, you must double-team him. Derrick Nnadi is coming off an abysmal season but was above average not too long ago. He isn’t the worst guy to rely on, as he’ll have many single teams and shouldn’t be as bad this year. The depth of the interior is very worrisome, so re-signing Jones is a must.

George Karlaftis is a powerful and refined EDGE with limited upside. That isn’t to say he can’t be a terrific player, but he just won’t ever be elite. He isn’t very athletic compared to top-tier pass rushers and lacks length. That said, I firmly believe he’ll be a stud for a long time. Felix Anudike-Uzomah is another EDGE who’s very refined but lacks elite upside. He’s a good, not great athlete, and has developed a plethora of moves. We’ll likely see him only as a pass rush specialist in year one, and he’ll eventually take over full-time.

Charles Omenihu flew under the radar in San Fran and had 62 pressures. He’s easily one of the best rotational EDGEs in the league. Mike Danna is the listed starter at EDGE, although he isn’t the best option and will likely be more of a base-down EDGE. This rotation of EDGEs will keep them fresh and healthy. As long as Jones is here, these young guys can feed off of getting single teams. While the offense draws fans’ attention the most, I am excited to see what this defense can become.

Chiefs Schedule

Total Win Projection – 11.6