The Kansas City Chiefs were one of the biggest surprises during the 2015 regular season, as they started the year with a 1-5 record but reeled off 10 straight wins and made the playoffs for the second time in three seasons under head coach Andy Reid.
Kansas City won it's first playoff game in 22 years with a shutout win over the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round of the playoffs and should be considered one of the favorites to make the postseason in the AFC next season. The Chiefs have built one of the strongest defenses in the league through the draft, and they could look to add another playmaker to their defense with the 28th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
One player that Chiefs fans should keep their eyes on is Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, who was originally projected as an early first round prospect. Off-field concerns have moved him down draft boards for many teams, but Kansas City's head coach has been known to take second chances on players and getting the most out of them.
The Chiefs selected Marcus Peters in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and while off-field questions surrounded the talented cornerback, he proved to be one of the smartest picks in last year's draft. Peters has since been named the defensive rookie of the year for the 2015 season and is just another example of a successful player that the Chiefs front office has found on the defensive side of the ball through the draft.
Nkemdiche was charged with marijuana possession this past December, but he told media members at the NFL Combine that he did not use any drugs and that he was just drunk when he broke through a window and fell to the ground. Some have projected the 6-foot-3, 294-pound defensive tackle to land with Kansas City, and the Rebels defensive lineman would make a strong fit with the Chiefs while being surrounded by veteran players that will show him how to succeed at the next level.
Nkemdiche is a strong powerful defensive lineman that can create havoc behind the line of scrimmage for opposing offenses, but he was inconsistent with his production at Ole Miss. The Rebels defensive tackle was named an All-American for the second consecutive season his junior year, but he only managed 26 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, and three sacks before being suspended for Ole Miss' bowl game.
Many doubted Peters after his dismissal from Washington prior to the 2015 NFL Draft, but being surrounded by the right team and coaching staff helped him find success in Kansas City. The Chiefs have multiple needs to fill this offseason both on their offensive line and at linebacker, but if Nkemdiche drops to the 28th pick, he could make a strong fit in Kansas City's defense.
