2023 Projected KC Chiefs Defensive Starters Post-Draft

Our 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 Justin Reid in KC). Now everybody in the NFL does a little bit of everything because it’s the pros and a copycat league. But our 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.
 
2023 Projected KC Chiefs Defensive Starters in my opinion after the draft:
 
LDE: George Karlaftis
LDT: Derrick Nnadi
RDT: Chris Jones
RDE: Charles Omenihu
LOLB (SLB): Nick Bolton
MLB: Willie Gay Jr.
ROLB (WLB): Drue Tranquill
LCB (CB1): L’Jarius Sneed
RCB (CB2): Jaylen Watson
CB3: Trent McDuffie
FS: Bryan Cook
SS: Justin Reid
 
In the Nickel (5 DBs) against a spread offense, take out Willie Gay Jr., and replace with a Slot Corner. Trent McDuffie.

In Dime (6 DBs), take out Willie Gay and Drue Tranquill. Add another Safety, Deon Bush, along with Trent McDuffie.

2023 KC Chiefs Projected Offensive Starters Post-Draft

 

2023 KC Chiefs Projected Offensive Starters Post-Draft in my opinion:

NFL West Coast passing scheme, and zone running scheme, mixed in with college option, misdirection plays, and spread offense. Every team has 11 players on the field at one time. How many at each position varies due to the situation.

QB: Patrick Mahomes
RB1: Isiah Pacheco (goal line and short-yardage Running Back)
RB2: Jerick McKinnon (our pass receiving Running Back)
WR1: Kadarius Toney
WR2: Marquez Valdes-Scantling
WR3: Skyy Moore
WR4: Ritchie James
WR5:  Justin Watson
WR6: Rashee Rice
TE1: Travis Kelce (pass-catching Tight End)
TE2: Noah Gray (blocking Tight End)
LT: Donovan Smith
LG: Joe Thuney
OC: Creed Humphrey
RG: Trey Smith
RT: Jawaan Taylor

As you can see above, we’ve made multiple changes on the offense, especially our Wide Receivers and Offensive Tackles.

2023 KC Chiefs Projected Special Teams Pre-Draft

2023 KC Chiefs Projected Special Teams Pre-Draft in my opinion:

K: Harrison Butker
P: Tommy Townsend
LS: James Winchester
H: Tommy Townsend
KR: Kadarius Toney
PR: Kadarius Toney

Kadarius Toney becomes both the new Punt Returner and Kick Returner.

2023 Projected KC Chiefs Defensive Starters Pre-Draft

 

Our 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, and then his replacement Justin Reid in KC). Now everybody in the NFL does a little bit of everything because it’s the pros and a copycat league. But our 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.

2023 Projected KC Chiefs Defensive Starters in my opinion before the draft:

LDE: George Karlaftis
LDT: Derrick Nnadi
RDT: Chris Jones
RDE: Charles Omenihu
LOLB (SLB): Nick Bolton
MLB: Willie Gay Jr.
ROLB (WLB): Leo Chenal
LCB (CB1): L’Jarius Sneed
RCB (CB2): Jaylen Watson
CB3: Trent McDuffie
FS: Mike Edwards
SS: Justin Reid

In the Nickel (5 DBs) against a spread offense, take out Leo Chenal, and replace with a Slot Corner. Trent McDuffie.

In Dime (6 DBs), take out Willie Gay and Leo Chenal. Add another Safety, Deon Bush, along with Trent McDuffie.

 

2023 KC Chiefs Projected Offensive Starters Pre-Draft

2023 KC Chiefs Projected Offensive Starters Pre-Draft in my opinion:

NFL West Coast passing scheme, and zone running scheme, mixed in with college option, misdirection plays, and spread offense. Every team has 11 players on the field at one time. How many at each position varies due to the situation.

QB: Patrick Mahomes
RB1: Isiah Pacheco (our pass receiving Running Back)
RB2: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (goal line and short-yardage Running Back)
WR1: Kadarius Toney
WR2: Marquez Valdes-Scantling
WR3: Skyy Moore
WR4: Ritchie James
WR5:  Justin Watson

WR6: Justyn Ross
TE1: Travis Kelce (pass-catching Tight End)
TE2: Noah Gray (blocking Tight End)
LT: Jawaan Taylor 
LG: Joe Thuney
OC: Creed Humphrey
RG: Trey Smith

RT: Lucas Niang

As you can see above, we’ve made multiple changes on the offense, especially our Wide Receivers.

Teams I've Applied For

FUN FACT: I've applied to be an NFL coaching intern with a quarter of the league's teams in 3 years.

2009 - Wrote 3 – 4-page letters to a who's who of college and NFL coaches. Nick Saban put my contact info on file at Alabama. Clancy Pandergast was going to teach me the Chiefs 3-4 that next off season, but was fired after the team went 1-15.

2010 - Pen pals with Dick LeBeau for 1 year.

2018 - Was supposed to meet w/ KC Chiefs, but defensive staff was fired after AFC Championship.

2019 - Meeting with Chicago Bears cancelled due to COVID

2020 - Dom Capers when with Detroit Lions read my 50-100-page book of notes, and meeting cancelled because Mark DeLeone was fired in the off-season. I was in heavy consideration for the Detroit Lions coaching internship, but never got it.

2021 - Applied to be coaching intern with KC Chiefs, Chicago Bears, LA Rams, NY Giants, Detroit Lions.

2022 - Applied to be coaching intern with KC Chiefs, Chicago Bears, LA Rams, NY Giants, Minnesota Vikings. Video interview with Chicago Bears in May.

2023 - Applied to be coaching intern with KC Chiefs, Chicago Bears, LA Chargers, SF 49ers, Miami Dolphins.

2023 Bill Walsh NFL Coaching Internship Video

I followed football. Wrote about it, watched it, or had family and friends that were coaches and former players. I wrote a 100 page book of notes that high school, college, and pro coaches have all read. From a schematic standpoint I know what I'm doing. And... from a personal standpoint, I really think I can help the players become better men.

Thank you.