How Many Chiefs Are Among NFL's 100 Best Players? O-Line Earns Spotlight

The Chiefs have several of the best players in the NFL, but how many made it into a recent Top 100 list? KC's offensive line boosts the numbers.

Dec 25, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey (52) and guard Joe Thuney (62) at the line of scrimmage against the Las Vegas Raiders during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

How many of the best players in football have a home on the Kansas City Chiefs' roster? Pete Prisco of CBS Sports ranked his Top 100 NFL players of 2024, and Chiefs appear early and often throughout the rankings.

Ultimately, seven Chiefs made Prisco's Top 100, with two offensive playmakers, two defensive All-Pros, and three members of the offensive line. Of course, Prisco's list starts with the obvious answer at No. 1 overall: quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Prisco wrote at length about Mahomes's status as No. 1 overall, referring to his ranking as "easy, a layup, a gimme putt." Prisco maintained that making a 100-player list is a tough task, but he acknowledged that the first pick is the easiest one:

"His numbers were down last season, but he showed in the playoffs that he is the best player in the league -- and on his way to being considered the best ever," Prisco wrote. "If he three-peats this season, is it time to say he's the best ever?"

The next Chief appears at No. 14 — and on the other side of the football. Defensive lineman Chris Jones slots between Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (No. 13) and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (No. 15.)

"The Chiefs leaned heavily on their defense to win last year's Super Bowl, with Jones being the catalyst of that unit," Prisco wrote. "He can take over games, and can do so from the inside and the outside. He can wreck an offensive line."

• Related reading: Chris Jones on His Very Different Offseasons, Going Back to Training Camp, 20+ Sack Goal
  

Just a few spots later, tight end Travis Kelce made his appearance at No. 18.

"He wasn't quite as good last year as he's been in his career with too many drops, but he still remains one of the best in the league," Prisco wrote. "A bad year for him was catching 93 passes, but his yards per catch fell to 10.6, the lowest of his career. He did amp it up in the postseason with 32 catches in four games."

At No. 30, another KC defender makes the list: cornerback Trent McDuffie. McDuffie is the third cornerback on Prisco's list behind Sauce Gardner and Patrick Surtain II.

"He had his best season in helping the Chiefs defense lead the team to a Super Bowl victory," Prisco wrote of McDuffie. "He played in the slot in the second half of the season and showed off his skills there to do a lot of things, including rush the passer."

• Related reading: Trent McDuffie Named 'Dark-Horse' DPOY Candidate

Back to the offensive side of the ball, the Chiefs get one more player inside the Top-50, with center Creed Humphrey landing at No. 48.

"He remains one of the league's best centers, although his play was off a bit last season," Prisco wrote. "He is good in both the run game and in pass protection, helping form one of the best inside trios in the league."

It takes a while before finding another Chief on the list, but another member of that interior shows up at No. 86: guard Joe Thuney.

"As part of the best interior-line group in the league, he excels in pass protection," Prisco wrote. "He did miss time last season and in the playoffs, which is concerning since he turns 32 in November."

In Humphrey's evaluation, Prisco proclaimed KC's interior O-line as "one of the best inside trios in the league." In Thuney's, he upgraded KC to "the best." He triple-dips (and returns to "one of the best") for the last Chief in the Top 100: guard Trey Smith at No. 90.

"He is a mauler in the run game who has improved in pass protection, which is a must in their offense," Prisco wrote. "He helps form one of the best inside trios in the league with Joe Thuney and Creed Humphrey."

Prisco ended the list with a long "honorable mention" section that does not include any Chiefs, implying a sharp drop-off for KC's top-end talent after their top four playmakers and interior offensive line.

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