If Charles Omenihu doesn’t step up, Chiefs may need a midseason fix

Justin Herbert arguably had one of his best games as a pro in the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. He was confident and poised all game long. Herbert's decisive, cunning night was largely a result of his own creativity and execution. But the Chiefs' pass rush was nowhere to be seen for much of the night. A few names were noticeably absent for Kansas City in particular.

The Chiefs totaled three sacks on Herbert. Drue Tranquill led the way with two of those, rocking Herbert when working downhill from the second level. Yet names like Chris Jones, Mike Danna, and Charles Omenihu simply had an empty night as pass rushers. The expectations surrounding Jones put him in an intriguing spot as the defensive star. Omenihu, however, is a name that has a major window of opportunity to cash in on this season.

Felix Anudike-Uzomah is out for the season with an injury. Danna's performance from last season, along with younger pieces being drafted, put him in a more competitive position. But for Omenihu, he is entering a chance at what will hopefully be his first full campaign with Kansas City.

One name who was noticeably absent in particular was Charles Omenihu. What could that mean for him and the Chiefs moving forward?

Injury and suspension prevented him from playing the full schedule the last couple of years. The Chiefs have seen him be a capable tertiary pass rusher in short stretches. Will he be able to put it all together this year, however?

One way or another, the Chiefs are going to have to find out if Omenihu can be a source of additional production. Because of how Kansas City addressed the defensive line this offseason—or the lack thereof—incumbent pieces are pushed up into crucial roles.

Kansas City's defensive line depth is not among the deepest in the league. We know the Chiefs will look to utilize additional pressure from linebackers or defensive backs. But in the meantime, the defense could sway in overall performance, especially in the early portion of the season. The pass rush will likely make or break how the defense performs against offenses like Philadelphia and Baltimore over the next few weeks.

Omenihu is one of the more interesting swing points on the K.C. defense. He can attack with length and an impressive get-off at the snap. Omenihu even has the capability of moving down and reducing inside on the line of scrimmage. He can become a lot to handle once he gets rolling and into a groove. But if the Chiefs encounter more games like Friday night against the Chargers, the pass rush may not have enough juice to be counted on continually.

Charles Omenihu could force the team's hand in many ways. If Kansas City believes it needs a defensive upgrade up front, that could come this season because of his performance. The Chiefs will truly know how much to reset the defensive line going into next year, to boot. Even though he is not the top guy, Omenihu will be facing heavy reliance to prove himself after the empty season opener.