Most improved position groups in the NFL heading into the 2019 season

#9 Chiefs safeties

Don’t get me wrong – I have always been a fan of Eric Berry and there were several years where he was one of the premier playmakers on the back-end, but he was not available for most of last season and when he did come back, he looked not nearly as dynamic, being beaten one-on-one by Rob Gronkowski in the AFC Championship game in crucial situations.

Ron Parker and Eric Murray led KC in safety snaps last season, but they were responsible for several big plays, and Daniel Sorensen has always been solid for them when called upon, but as a starter, he will have always leave something to be desired. For a defense that lost three of their four biggest names in Berry, Justin Houston, and Dee Ford, you would be really concerned, but if that unit was ranked second-to-last in yards allowed per game, it is time to restructure.

So they made two big additions in March and April with Tyrann Mathieu, who played a lot of deep safety last season, but is a highly versatile DB whose leadership qualities were praised by Texans coaches in his one year there, and then they made a huge trade for Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark, who I think is at least as good as Ford and we already know he brings it every week and year.

Due to that blockbuster deal with Seattle, the Chiefs didn’t have a first-round pick, but they jumped into the second and selected Virginia safety Juan Thornhill, who is a really explosive athlete and brings position flexibility, having started his career on the outside and showing the all-around skill-set to contribute in every area. Pairing the safety up with the veteran Mathieu will not only accelerate his growth but give new DC Steve Spagnuolo a really versatile duo on the back-end.