As one of the best “draft and develop” franchises in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs have allowed themselves to consistently remain in contention for the Super Bowl.
However, one of the costs of being a team like this is that talents will move on to greener pastures when eligible for free agency, and the Chiefs have experienced that this year.
This offseason, the team has moved on from starting safety Justin Reid and veteran left guard Joe Thuney. While Hall of Fame Travis Kelce is returning for another season, his future successor must be found sooner than later. There is also constant turnover every year that forces Kansas City to rely more on their younger talents and a great example of this is Super Bowl LVII.
With the departures of key players, it’s time to look at some potential breakout candidates for the 2025 season.
Left tackle/guard Kingsley Suamataia
The athletic and physical profile if there for Suamataia to emerge as a potential formidable starter along the Chiefs’ offensive line. The unit took a hit with Thuney gone and there are questions about whether Suamataia is ready to take on the starting job after a seemingly disastrous rookie campaign.
Competition should be brought in so that Suamataia is not gift-wrapped the starting job. However, his intriguing movement skills, length, and size make him an exciting possibility as a breakout candidate for the 2025 campaign.
Safety Jaden Hicks
The former fourth round selection came on late last season as the team’s No. 3 safety and impact role player in the box and in split safety alignments. The Washington State standout hauled in three interceptions in 2024 and established himself as the likely starter in Reid’s old spot in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.
Hicks is a great athlete who puts himself in the right position to make plays on all three levels of the field while providing ample coverage prowess to be an effective defender in the secondary. It would not be a surprise to see him and fellow teammate Bryan Cook become a formidable young safety duo.
Tight end Noah Gray
Kelce has been everything and then some for the Chiefs franchise and he will likely retire as a member of it when he does so choose to. For now, his successor must be found and the answer could be on the roster with Gray.
The former Duke standout was productive last season with 40 catches on 49 targets for 437 yards and five touchdowns, flashing the ability to be a reliable go-to target for the Chiefs offense. If Kelce’s role within the offense continues to decrease next season, Gray’s targets and overall production should follow.
