ESPN analysts' projections show the Kansas City Chiefs defense could take a major hit statistically in 2024

In the Andy Reid era, it's not normal for the Kansas City Chiefs' best unit to be the defense. Last season, that was the case, as the defense was one of the best in the league, and, at times, you could even say it was the best in the league. They combined an elite pass rush with an elite secondary and became an unmovable force on that side of the ball.

As the new season approaches, the question arises-can they sustain this level of performance? The team is largely unchanged, with the exception of L'Jarius Sneed, who was traded to the Tennessee Titans this offseason, and Willie Gay Jr., who signed with the New Orleans Saints. With the same core unit and the guidance of defensive mastermind Steve Spagnuolo, the Chiefs are poised to maintain their defensive dominance in the upcoming season.

But will they be as good? The loss of Sneed certainly won't help, but they still have pieces everywhere else across the roster that make them a formidable defense. In a way, some people think they won't. Mike Clay of ESPN makes his annual stat projections, and when you look at what he has projected for the Chiefs' defense, it would appear as a slight falloff.

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The immediate thing that pops off the screen on this graphic is Clay projecting the Chiefs won't have a 10-sack pass rusher, a significant factor in their defensive strategy, which they had two last season in Chris Jones and George Karlaftis, and Charles Omenihu was three sacks away playing in limited games. As a team, the Chiefs had 57 sacks last year; Clay has them finishing with 44, so it's a significant drop-off.

Now, while that could happen, I don't think a drop-off that big will happen. They have everyone back and will likely miss Omenihu for at most the same amount of time they missed him at the beginning of the 2023 season. Not to mention, they have been in the top three in sacks the last two seasons, a testament to their consistent defensive performance. I don't see that stopping anytime soon.

Related: Kansas City Chiefs defense could see a major decline to start the 2024 season