Chiefs 53 Man Roster Projection: Linebacker

With the 2021 NFL preseason drawing to a close soon, the regular season is just around the corner. These next couple of weeks become even more crucial for coaching staffs and front offices alike. In just over a week, NFL rosters will drop from 80 to 53 players.

Who are the fringe players worth keeping on the roster? How many individuals should be available at certain positions? All of those questions will need to be answered. Other factors like game film, injuries to other players, being able to play special teams or not, or simply locker room leadership could help make the decisions somewhat easier.

Over the next week and a half, we will be going position by position to forecast our projections for who will and will not make the Kansas City Chiefs 53 man roster for 2021. We will also note which players we believe will stick around on the practice squad, if they cannot fit into the initial 53 man roster. Today we will be focusing on the Chiefs linebacker position.

There are currently eight linebackers on Kansas City’s depth chart. That includes Anthony Hitchens, Willie Gay, Nick Bolton, Ben Niemann, Dorian O’Daniel, Darius Harris, Omari Cobb and Emmanuel Smith. The team has invested highly into this position recently. Both Bolton and Gay were second round draft picks in consecutive years. Elsewhere, Hitchens originally signed a five year contract for a total of $45 million back in 2018. I believe they will keep five of the eight players from this position.

One Last Hurrah?

For Hitchens, his stint in Kansas City has certainly been up and down. We saw him hardly miss any tackles or assignments while with the Dallas Cowboys. However, that changed mightily in his first year with the Chiefs. Hitchens was unable to reach outside runs like he had been able to before. Moreover, the Iowa product was left guessing a lot more than usual, despite his consistently detailed preparation.

Once Steve Spagnuolo arrived as defensive coordinator, things began to turn around for Hitchens. The Chiefs saw the player that they originally thought they had when signing him. He was allowed to fly downhill more often. His tackling was back to being perfectly executed. Additionally, the range Hitchens displayed in the past appeared to be back as well.

Last year may not have been Hitchens’ best in Kansas City, if you are looking at the generic stats. This includes tackles, tackles for loss, or QB hits. Instead, it was Hitchens’ most mistake free season with the Chiefs. His missed tackle percentage was a measly 4.9 percent (his best with Kansas City). On the other hand, his defense against the pass was improved overall in 2020. Hitchens’ pressures were up (six). And his yards per reception (9.1) and yards per target (7.0) were down considerably.

Hitchens has gone somewhat unnoticed for the Chiefs defense. His understanding of the opposing offense’s playbook and ability to work downhill still allow him to be a productive player. However, the contract and salary cap situation could make things difficult. He has restructured his deal before. Though, the Chiefs are going to have to pay players like Orlando Brown Jr. and Tyrann Mathieu this upcoming offseason.

Could Hitchens be a cap casualty because of his salary? In 2022, the linebacker is set to carry a cap hit of $12.7 million. That large chunk of cash could certainly be used elsewhere on the roster. The results have been adequate for Hitchens the last couple of years. If Gay and Bolton deliver this season, however, he could easily be caught in the middle of a difficult decision.

Long Term Duo

We mentioned the recent draft pick investment into Gay and Bolton. Linebacker has generally been labeled as not one of the more premium positions to team building. Yet in today’s pass happy NFL, having versatile players on the second level and in the middle of the field is now more important than ever before.

There are obviously high hopes for each player. Gay was really hitting his stride as a rookie late last year. Unfortunately, a leg injury ended his season just before the playoffs. All expectations are for him to keep trending up this season. The Mississippi State product was rated as one of the best coverage linebackers in all of college football. It is easy to see why. His understanding of landmarks and body positioning always give him a shot to get a hand on the football. Gay’s nose for the ball and soft hands allow for turnover opportunities. Meanwhile, this player is a violent tackler.

The style of play they may be receiving from Bolton is different than that of Gay. At Missouri, Bolton was routinely counted on to stop the opposition’s running game. Like Hitchens, he can work downhill and slice or squeeze through gaps with ease. I would describe Bolton as another linebacker who is mentally poised before the ball is snapped. He has a quick understanding of what the offense may be wanting to accomplish. Overall, Bolton may still need a fair amount of work in pass coverage. Carrying up the field with opposing receivers or tight ends has been a challenge. If that improves steadily, he and Gay could be the Chiefs next great long term duo at linebacker.

Final Spots

The final two spots will likely be filled by role players. That would be both Niemann and O’Daniel. There have been challenging times for each of these two defensively. Over the last couple of years, Niemann has been thrown at numerous times in his limited snaps. He has struggled to stick close to the opposing pass catchers while in coverage. And his tackling has waned more and more the longer his career has gone on (10.2 missed tackle percentage in 2020).

O’Daniel hardly ever plays defense. And personally, I would vouch for Harris to make this roster over O’Daniel. This just simply feels like a situation where special teams coach Dave Toub will get his way. Dorian has been a mainstay on Toub’s special teams units ever since he entered the league in 2018. Harris got a chance to shine late last year, due to injuries. Maybe him and Cobb will each crack the practice squad.

FINAL DEPTH CHART:

LB1: Hitchens

LB2: Gay

LB3: Bolton

LB4: Niemann

LB5: O’Daniel

Practice Squad: Harris, Cobb

Be on the lookout for the rest of our Chiefs 53 man roster projection pieces and other articles in the upcoming weeks. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.