Where Will the Chiefs' Defense Rank Next Season?

The Kansas City Chiefs are currently looking at a complete offensive and defensive overhaul this offseason. Many key pieces from both sides of the ball will be hitting free agency, and many of them are going to be highly sought-after by the other 31 NFL teams.

As for the Chiefs strategy to mitigate losses, they need to be aggressive with their signings and hit on their draft picks. This is the only way that these holes are going to get filled.

The past two years, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has led the Chiefs defense to a top 10 ranking (this is in terms of their average total yards allowed per game). They got there by pristine coaching, development, and player talent.

A huge part of the Chiefs defense has been their defensive front. While most fans and team executives believe it's still lacking, Kansas City has been able to build around their star defensive tackle, Chris Jones, while adding young talent on the edges such as George Karlaftis.

They've also been strategic with their trades and signings. For instance, when Justin Reid ended his 4-year tenure with the Houston Texans, the Chiefs were right there to sign him to a hefty 3-year, $51M deal. The funds weren't wasted, as Reid has been a key cornerstone of the Chiefs' defensive back room, and has acted as both a leader and a mentor to young stars such as cornerback Trent McDuffie.

Right now, the Chiefs stand to lose their starting linebacker, Nick Bolton and Justin Reid to free agency and possibly to rival teams if they don't act fast. While it may not be possible to retain everybody with their current cap space situation, the Chiefs will still have a good majority of players under contract for next season.

As I see it, the Chiefs' defense is going to decline come next season, but that doesn't mean that they can't still be aggressive and set themselves up nicely for the near future. If they end up middle-of-the-pack, that doesn't mean that all hope is lost, it just means that we'll have to wait a little extra to see results.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @KCChiefsOnSI and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE