The Kansas City Chiefs are going to have some turnover on their defense this offseason. To remain on top of the league, some difficult decisions have to be made and they certainly had their fair share this offseason.
Kansas City attempted to work out a restructured deal with Frank Clark, but nothing came to fruition, so they released him. Veteran Carlos Dunlap also remains a free agent, as 2022 first-round pick George Karlaftis will be taking on a larger role this season.
The team also signed Charles Omenihu in free agency to bolster their pass rush, but they likely aren’t done. A few veterans are remaining in free agency that could pique their interest, but expect the Chiefs to actively seek out some pass-rushing help in the 2023 NFL Draft.
One mid-round prospect to keep an eye on is DJ Johnson out of Oregon. Johnson has met with the Chiefs, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders. His final visit of the pre-draft process will be with the San Francisco 49ers today.
Johnson has had a long, windy path to get to this point. He is an older prospect, which will be held against him by some evaluators as his college career began in 2018 with Miami (FL) before he ended up at Oregon.
While with the Ducks, he switched over to tight end at one point to help the team during the COVID-19-shortened season. He switched back to defense and settled in as a pass rusher with the team.
Johnson possesses all of the tools and athleticism to succeed in the NFL. His combination of size, length and motor is exactly what teams want to see out of a player. With the right coaching, he will be able to unlock his immense potential as he is still considered a raw prospect.
Being able to loosen up the lower half of his body and cleaning up some of the techniques would go a long way to him finding success. The production certainly was there for Johnson in 2022 as he had 39 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and two passes defended.
