On Wednesday, NFL.com draft analyst Eric Edholm printed a rating of the league’s “most full groups” for 2025. He listed the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs fourth, following the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions.
4. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs
They proceed to tinker with their broad receivers and offensive line. There might be new faces on protection, too. However the core of the 2025 Chiefs resembles the group that has solid its means into taking part in in 5 of the previous six Tremendous Bowls. They is likely to be coming off a lopsided loss in Tremendous Bowl LIX, however I don’t count on them to endure a precipitous decline.
Kansas Metropolis’s protection had carried an even bigger chunk of the load in recent times, however the Tremendous Bowl LIX blowout proved the unit required reinforcements. 4 draft picks, together with three on Day 2, ought to assist with depth. DT Chris Jones and CB Trent McDuffie are elite defenders, and the Chiefs even have strong to sturdy playmakers all through the protection. New CBs Kristian Fulton and Nohl Williams ought to assist.
Patrick Mahomes’ manufacturing has slipped a bit from his absolute peak just a few years again, however he stays some of the harmful QBs within the sport getting into his age-30 season. Again alongside his facet is Travis Kelce, a greater working again state of affairs than the group had final season and loads of expertise at receiver. Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown and rookie Jalen Royals all may be weapons. The offensive line has undergone huge adjustments, nevertheless it could possibly be higher in 2025.
Some shakiness within the trenches retains us from giving them an A throughout the board on the report card, however Mahomes and a handful of different elite gamers, mixed with strong middle-of-the-roster expertise, makes this crew a top-10 lock in my e book. Drop them after the Tremendous Bowl blowout at your individual threat; there’s sufficient left within the tank for an additional run.
My take
By now, we’re accustomed to the concept that in each offseason, there might be a notion that different groups have improved greater than Kansas Metropolis — and that within the coming season, considered one of them will rise to the highest of the league.
And in any season, that might occur.
However on this case, Edholm doesn’t go fairly that far. Whereas he lists the Chiefs fourth behind three different proficient groups, he nonetheless considers Mahomes “some of the harmful QBs within the sport.”
There’s a great cause for this. Going into the 2022 season, Edholm’s predecessor Marc Ross ranked the Chiefs fourth after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Chargers (!) and Buffalo Payments, noting that Kansas Metropolis would now be with out wideout Tyreek Hill. A yr later, Edholm listed the Chiefs second behind the Eagles. Then in 2024, he put them at third behind the San Francisco 49ers and the Ravens.
In all three seasons, the Chiefs made the Tremendous Bowl — and received it twice. So whereas Edholm may need professional grounds to say different groups are extra full, he acknowledges that Mahomes “and a handful of elite gamers” could make the distinction.
He made the identical level a yr in the past, beginning by calling Mahomes “the perfect participant on this planet.”
Patrick Mahomes’ brilliance can overcome a number of the shortcomings of a roster, as we’ve seen throughout back-to-back Tremendous Bowl championships. Final season was extra stark, with the Chiefs’ receivers threatening to destroy the entire operation. However even with Rashee Rice’s offseason authorized troubles resulting in questions on his standing for the 2024 marketing campaign, the additions of veteran Marquise Brown and first-rounder Xavier Worthy assist stabilize the group and supply extra vertical velocity.
With Mahomes having all three of those wideouts again for 2025 — together with vital strikes elsewhere — Edholm is correct: Kansas Metropolis will definitely have sufficient left within the tank.
The Chiefs have confirmed they’ll beat every other group. However like every other squad, Kansas Metropolis may be derailed by accidents — and generally be its personal worst enemy. There may be, nevertheless, no cause to assume it can not contend once more.
