Where Does the Chiefs' Starting Lineup Rank in the NFL? Identifying KC's X-Factors for 2024

Do the back-to-back champions have the firepower to three-peat? Which players are flying under the radar?

Jan 13, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal (54) on offense runs the ball ahead of Miami Dolphins linebacker Calvin Munson (50) during the first half of the 2024 AFC wild card game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs are entering the 2024 NFL season as back-to-back Super Bowl champions, but do they have the best overall starting lineup in the league? Not quite, according to a panel of analysts from ESPN.

Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder ranked every NFL lineup and identified strengths and weaknesses on every roster. The Chiefs came in at No. 2, behind only the San Francisco 49ers. The trio then broke down each team's biggest strengths and weaknesses, X-factors, and non-starters to know. For the Chiefs, that's where the evaluation gets interesting.

The Chiefs' "biggest strength" is obvious: Quarterback. Patrick Mahomes is the best signal-caller in the league and gives Kansas City a margin for error that no other team enjoys. The biggest weakness, however, has earned plenty of concern from around the NFL world. Clay wrote about the weaknesses that can be found at KC's offensive tackle position.

"Kansas City has done a lot right in recent years, but the four-year, $80 million deal handed to RTJawaan Taylor last offseason remains a major head-scratcher," Clay wrote. "Taylor struggled again in 2023, posting poor marks in run block win rate while ranking top 10 among tackles in pressures, hits and hurries allowed. An even larger concern is left tackle, with Donovan Smith out and the likes of Wanya Morris (a 2023 third-rounder who played 324 snaps), Lucas Niang (67 snaps over the past two seasons) and rookie Kingsley Suamataia competing for the job."

Following Mahomes and the tackles in the first two categories, KC's next spotlight also comes on the offensive side of the ball. When choosing the Chiefs' X-factor for 2024, Walder chose Kansas City's new duo of speedy pass-catchers: wide receivers Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and rookie Xavier Worthy.

"The Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII with a major weakness at wide receiver, but don't forget that this team struggled on offense for most of last season," Walder wrote. "Kansas City needed reinforcements at the position, and Brown and Worthy are it. Whether they can deliver remains to be seen; Brown is coming off a career-low season in terms of yards per route run and ESPN's receiver tracking metrics, and Worthy is a rookie. Especially with Rashee Rice's availability in question, whether Brown can rebound and Worthy can hit the ground running will determine which kind of Chiefs offense we get in 2024."

The first mention of a Chiefs defender comes in the crew's final category: "nonstarter to know." While linebackers Drue Tranquill and Nick Bolton have earned most of the discussion about KC's middle defenders, it's third-year linebacker Leo Chenal who gets the highlight from Schatz.

"Chenal is the third linebacker when the Chiefs go to a base defense," Schatz wrote. "He was outstanding in Super Bowl LVIII, with a forced fumble and a blocked extra point. Chenal is very strong against the run, and his average run-game tackle last season came after a gain of just 2.3 yards. He also had 13 pressures when rushing the passer. His pass coverage is a problem, though."

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