Free agency will be here before you know it.
The Kansas City Chiefs have 20 pending unrestricted free agents this offseason and will look to fill several roster holes ahead of the 2023 NFL draft. I’ve identified four players who could fit in Kansas City using Touchdown Wire’s Top 151 free agents list as our guide (76-151 and 1-75).
Below is a quick look at each player along with where they rank in Touchdown Wire’s list:
RT Jawaan Taylor (60)
The Chiefs won’t go into the draft with a glaring need at both tackle positions. Locking up a solution on either the left or right side in free agency should be on the table. A former second-round pick, who is just 25 years old, Taylor could well be the top option at right tackle in free agency this year. The 6-foot-5 and 315-pound tackle posted a 2.5% pressure rate on his pass-blocking snaps in 2022, which was good for the third-lowest pressure rate among all tackles in the NFL. That’s the type of high-level performance that could vastly improve the Chiefs’ offensive line in 2023.
NT Greg Gaines (86)
The interior defensive line is quietly one of the biggest needs for Kansas City this offseason and Gaines could help the team answer a lot of questions. Gaines is coming off of a down year, recording 36 total tackles, six tackles for a loss, four sacks, six QB hits and 16 total pressures on the season. Among defensive linemen with at least 270 defensive snaps in run defense, Gaines ranked 38th in stops with 13 according to PFF. By comparison, Chris Jones ranked 30th with 17. He’s not just a run-stuffing nose tackle, but his ability to impact the run game as a true nose tackle is probably most appealing to the Chiefs.
WR Darius Slayton (57)
The biggest thing that Chiefs wide receivers can offer is the ability to get open against man coverage against a single opponent. Using the same measure as we did for Olamide Zaccheaus, Slayton had 140 snaps in man coverage last season and got open 55 times (39.29% rate). That’s better than JuJu Smith-Schuster at 258 snaps and only slightly worse than Mecole Hardman’s rate on 92 snaps. If you lose both of those players, I like Slayton as someone who can come in and seamlessly beat man coverage looks.
S Vonn Bell (32)
The Chiefs use three safeties enough that investing in the position might be a wise move if the team loses Juan Thornhill in free agency. Bell is a punishing safety who has no problem putting a lick on receivers, running backs and tight ends in the open field. He was also used in the blitz game with three sacks on the season. He allowed just a 75.7% passer rating into his coverage this season according to PFF. That’s not to say he isn’t capable in coverage as he recorded four interceptions and eight passes defended on the year.
