2019 KC Chiefs Projected Defensive Starters Pre-Draft

If the season started today.

Our new defensive scheme is a 4 - 3 (4 Down Linemen, and 3 Linebackers) base 7 man front with a 1 gap Under Front alignment (Defensive Line shifts to the weakside, and the Strong Side Outside Linebacker moves up on the line of scrimmage. That makes the defense look like a 5-2 with 43 personnel. Sometimes, the Strong or Free Safety will drop down close to the line of scrimmage, and the defense becomes an eight-man front, or what’s known as the 46 (Brian Dawkins in Philadelphia, and probably Tyrann Matthieu in KC). Now everybody in the NFL does a little bit of everything because it’s the pros and a copycat league. But our new defensive coordinator comes from the Jim Johnson tree (‘99 – ‘08 with the Philadelphia Eagles) and prefers a 2 High Safety alignment with Press Man Coverage, mixed in with Man Blitzes, Double-A Gap Blitzes, and Zone Blitzes depending on the situation also.

2019 KC Chiefs Projected Defensive Starters before the draft in my opinion:

LDE: Alex Okafor (Emmanuel Ogbah starts if Okafor doesn't switch sides)
LDT: Derrick Nnadi
RDT: Chris Jones

RDE: Frank Clark
LOLB (SLB): Damien Wilson

MLB: Anthony Hitchens
ROLB (WLB): Reggie Ragland (prefer DoD)
LCB(CB1): Kendall Fuller
RCB(CB2): Bashaud Breeland
FS: Dan Sorensen
SS: Tyrann Mathieu

In the Nickel (5 DBs) against a spread offense, take out Anthony Hitchens, and replace with a Slot Corner. Probably Charvarius Ward.

In Dime (6 DBs), take out Damien Wilson and Anthony Hitchens. Add another Safety, Jordan Lucas along with Charvarius Ward (prefer Armani Watts).

Cut Ragland *Can’t pass cover. More of a 3-4 inside LB.

This is all pre-draft of course. So we'll see on Thursday, Friday, Saturday.