By: Jake Rajala

The Kansas City Chiefs are blocking out the slander thrown out at them for trading away Tyreek Hill – as they strive to return to the big dance. With that said, I’m going to untwine 10 bold predictions for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.

• Jerick McKinnon has 1,000+ all-purpose yards

The explosive “Jet” came back from the dead and unveiled 315 all-purpose yds in the latest playoff gauntlet. It’s hard not to have hope for CEH, but I expect an in-sync McKinnon to have a large piece of the Chiefs offensive pie and dazzle with the opportunity.

• George Karlaftis has double-digit sacks

The rookie George Karlaftis has already dazzled this off-season and I expect him to carry his pre-season ability into the regular season. In fact, I love Karlaftis’s chances at cracking 10+ sacks next to Chris Jones – which should often come in the spotlight.

• Justin Reid makes the Pro Bowl

The Chiefs don’t have the Honey Badger, but they have a motivated, talented Justin Reid. The Chiefs backup kicker is out of Alcatraz, also known as the Houston Texans, and sitting behind a potent pass rush that will enjoy witnessing opposing QBs desperate to keep pace with Patty Mahomes.

• Skyy Moore records 1,000+ receiving yards

I’m not convinced that Skyy Moore will win OROY, but he can certainly oust 1,000+ receiving yards in his first season. Per Chiefs Wire, JuJu Smith-Schuster believes that the sky is the limit for Moore.

• Patrick Mahomes throws 5,000+ passing yards

I actually feel confident in the LA Chargers winning the AFC West in 2022. Still, I foresee Mahomes unleashing 5,000+ passing yards (for the second time in his career). He may not have Hill, but he still has Travis Kelce, Schuster, MVS, Mecole Hardman, and Moore. Not to mention that Mahomes has a versatile RB group at his disposal.

• Travis Kelce is a first-team All-Pro

The Chiefs illustrious TE Travis Kelce didn’t garner first-team All-Pro honors last season, but I like his odds of returning to snag first-team AP (after being first-team AP in 2020) in 2022. In the Tyreek Hill-less offense, he should demand a bit more targets and attention moving forward.

• Josh Gordon catches a touchdown

The former Cleveland Browns legend Josh Gordon has been up and down this summer, but his size should warrant him a role in the Chiefs offense at some point in 2022. He may momentarily be on the Chiefs practice squad, but I expect him to garner some playing time, catch a TD, and bring back memories of his previous unearthly production.

• Chad Henne wins a game

It doesn’t sound sexy to imagine Mahomes MIA, but he did miss two games in 2019 and a contest in 2020. In the brutal AFC West and 17-game season, he may miss a match-up in 2022. With that said, I believe that Chade Henne (who has impressed in big moments) steps up to the plate & wins a show-down.

• Mecole Hardman makes the Pro Bowl as a returner

Mecole Hardman has a lot of juice, yet he doesn’t have the most superb experience as a KR. I believe the return-man that flashed a ton of greatness last season became more comfortable this off-season and he’s bound to put it all together in the upcoming season.

• Orlando Brown Jr is an All-Pro

Orlando Brown Jr. has been named a Pro Bowler in each of the past few seasons. Yet, I believe he will shine against his best competition (such as Khalil Mack) in the upcoming season, which will really shine the lamp on his abilities.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Kansas City Chiefs are not taking the gas off the pedal without Tyreek Hill & the Honey Badger. Patrick Mahomes and his new-look squad will strive to return to the Super Bowl in the upcoming season. The first look at the glorious Chiefs depth chart was recently released. With that said, I’m going to untwine five takeaways from the Chiefs first depth chart.

Jerick McKinnon

Jerick McKinnon, also known as “Jet”, turned heads in the latest playoff gauntlet: 150 rushing yds and 165 receiving yards. McKinnon is dubbed as the RB2 (behind Clyde Edwards Helaire) and sitting in front of Ronald Jones. R-Jo may ascend above McKinnon as he gets acclimated to the system, but I certainly believe McKinnon should shine as an all-purpose RB (at least early) in 2022.

Josh Gordon

The soon-to-be HOF LT Joe Thomas once wanted his team to just sit back and throw hail marys to Josh Gordon. Well, it’s safe to say that Gordon regressed after being one of the top WRs in the NFL. Nonetheless, Gordon is hungry and thankful for an opportunity w/ the Chiefs at this stage in his career. Per The Athletic, Gordon has sadly been struggling in camp thus far.

He did sign with the Chiefs practice squad last season, so it would make a ton of sense for him to return to their PC if he doesn’t stay on the 53-man roster.

Chad Henne

It was seen by many Chiefs & NFL fans as a bit of a surprise when KC brought back the 37-year-old Chad Henne. Henne is currently slotted as the QB2 on the Chiefs. He may not (obviously) have a high ceiling, but he has superb knowledge of the scheme and he can take care of the football.

Mecole Hardman

The utterly explosive skill player Mecole Hardman was benched as the Chiefs punt returner last season, but he is pegged as the starting PR at this point. The polarizing rookie WR Skyy Moore is labeled as the KR3 and PR3, but it seems like Hardman’s job to lose at this point.

Justin Reid

The Chiefs made a bold move to move on from Tyrann Mathieu and link up with the former Stanford safety Justin Reid. Reid (somehow) made a 65-yard field goal in practice. So, it’s safe to say the Chiefs have a fine emergency kicker in Reid. Although, they will need him to make more impressive Ints and feel comfortable with the coverages this off-season. He will surely be tested by the mega-arm QB Justin Herbert and the deep-passing legend Russell Wilson in 2022.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs are confident that they can notch another Super Bowl victory and not decay in a similar way that the Russell Wilson-led Seahawks did after their lone SB win. With that stated, I’m going to simply pose the five biggest questions facing the reigning AFC West champions at this moment.

• What is the ceiling for Skyy Moore?

Mina Kimes and the rest of the NFL world feel confident in Travis Kelce’s ability to demolish opposing defenses. It is also anticipated that JuJu Smith-Schuster ousts 1,000+ receiving yards. Although, the question is: how productive will the rookie Skyy Moore be in his first season? I believe Moore is the real x-factory in the Chiefs offense and they will need him to perform at a high level to finish ahead of the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals in my opinion.

• Will Justin Reid play at a high level?

The Chiefs made a questionable decision to allow the Honey Badger to exit the building. They brought in Justin Reid, who is five years younger than Mathieu. Reid may be noticeable younger than Mathieu, but he still needs to be a strong replacement for the former Chiefs All-Pro safety in the near future. Reid had a 50.8 grade by PFF last season, per PFF. The former Stanford ball-hawk will need to return to the player that he was as a rookie (75.2 grade by PFF) and sophomore (76.7 grade) in 2022.

• Will Patrick Mahomes improve his turnover rate?

Patrick Mahomes is undoubtedly a gifted quarterback. Nonetheless, he is still human and he needs to improve his turnover habits. He threw a career-high 13 interceptions last season and he nearly had countless more interceptions. He needs to really be on his toes in the much improved AFC West division, as any AFC West team could upset KC if Mahomes makes 1-2 big mistakes against them.

• Will Chris Jones and Frank Clark stay healthy?

The Chiefs had two Pro Bowlers (Chris Jones and Frank Clark) on their defensive line last season. Unfortunately, Jones (career-high three missed games) and Clark (career-high three missed games) missed a chunk of playing time. It will be extremely important that Jones and Clark can stay on the field and help their Badger-less defense moving forward.

• Will Harrison Butker be Mr. Reliable?

The Chiefs will have plenty of fireworks on offense and they should also expect a modest performance by their defense. Yet, they will also rely on their kicker Harrison Butker to be a clutch performer. Butker has had an 88% FG% in each season of his career. They will need him to continue to be a Pro Bowl-caliber kicker and not miss a long field goal in pivotal moments.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Kansas City Chiefs are a complex Tyreek Hill-less team in 2022. With that said, I’m going to peg three KC players that could turn heads in 2022 and 3 profiles that are honestly overrated. Let’s begin.

Underrated: Justin Reid

I’m sure that countless Chiefs fans would prefer the Honey Badger over Justin Reid, but I believe that the safety out of Stanford can be a consistent play-maker in KC next season. Chiefs Wire pointed out how Reid had a beautiful interception at OTAs yesterday. It’s clear that the gifted athlete at S is feeling more comfortable out of Houston and I believe that he should excel against offenses desperately seeking to keep pace with Patrick Mahomes.

Overrated: Frank Clark

The Chiefs have asked Frank Clark to be the most effective pass rusher since Justin Houston, but he’s only ousted 10.5 sacks in the past two seasons combined. I will admit that he has shown up in some playoff battles. Although, he slightly lived below expectations in 2020, and then he even had less production in the 2021 regular season. Despite his miraculous two Pro Bowl honors in 2020 and 2021, he hasn’t lived up to his contract (which he restructured this off-season). He will still need to be a lot more effective in the firework AFC conference with his new deal moving forward.

Underrated: Skyy Moore

The Chiefs may have spent a lot of cash on MVS, but he doesn’t carry the same potential as the rookie Skyy Moore. I expect Andy Reid to have a perfect vision for the WR that has the similar ability as Tyreek Hill and he should honestly be the x-factor in the offense. Patrick Mahomes will have countless screens and quick passes lined up for the WR that impressed scouts this summer and was a draft steal in my opinion.

Overrated: Clyde Edwards-Helaire

It seems all too true that the healthy, first-round pick in CEH needs to have his best season in 2022. The former LSU RB hasn’t been a receiving machine, efficient in a superb manner, or friendly in big moments (cough, cough, against Baltimore). I’m not quite sure that he will prove his worth in an offense that brought in R-Jo and still have impressive receiving depth. Despite Mahomes wanting the Chiefs to draft him, I don’t believe he will come close to the magic that Jamaal Charles brought to KC.

Underrated: George Karlaftis

George Karlaftis may be a late first-round rookie, but he can prove to be a stud in his first NFL season. The 6’4, 270 DE has already brought excitement to DC Steve Spagnuolo with his power. Kezirian from ESPN believes that the Chiefs rookie can even win DROY via his motor and the pass-rushing opportunities in KC.

Overrated: Andrew Wylie

The Chiefs projected starter at RT Andrew Wylie may be scrappy and reliable, but he hasn’t been very heartwarming. Kristian Gumminger from Arrowhead Pride pointed out how PFF gave Wylie a 65.2 grade in pass block leading up to January 2nd. Wylie may have re-signed to the Chiefs this summer and he can likely start, but he absolutely can’t be a liability on the edge against the juggernaut AFC West pass rushers.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Kansas City Chiefs may not need Alex Honnold to climb their mountain in 2022, but they surely need Patrick Mahomes to play lights out in their fifth-most challenging schedule next season. The Chiefs will play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4. Outside of the Super Bowl LV re-match, the Chiefs will also face the Buffalo Bills in Week 6, per 670 The Score’s Danny Parkins.

Of course, the Chiefs will also face an improved AFC West division. Profiles like Russell Wilson, Khalil Mack, Chandler Jones, J.C. Jackson, were all introduced to the wild AFC west. The Chiefs went 5-1 in their division last season, but it will be quite difficult for the Chiefs to win 5 or 6 games next season.

The Chiefs witnessed their ex-star safety Tyrann Mathieu sign with the Saints and announce that the Chiefs didn’t make an offer to him, as well. Although, they were able to sign the talented, 25-year-old Justin Reid early in the free agency frenzy. Among the current free agents, it would make sense if they target a pass rusher. They drafted DE George Karlaftis 30th overall in the 2022 draft, but it would be wise for them to bring in a stout veteran DE. Arrowhead Addict pointed out that Melvin Ingram should be more expensive for the Chiefs after Jerry Hughes signed with the Houston Texans. If they miss out on a reunion with Ingram, there are many other quality FA pass-rushing options.

Here is a closer look at the FA pass rushers available (excluding Ingram):

Jason Pierre Paul

Carlos Dunlap

Jadeveon Clowney

Justin Houston (former Chief)

Alex Okafor (former Chief)

The Chiefs may sign another proven FA, but it will definitely be exciting for fellow Chiefs fans to witness new Chiefs players like Ronald Jones, Josh Gordan, and JuJu Smith-Schuster grow with Patrick Mahomes this off-season. Odds Checker also gave the Chiefs the third-best odds to win the Super Bowl after the draft. The Tyreek Hill-less Chiefs are still built like a tank and they are absolutely prepared for the frigid season ahead.

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