Ranking the best Chiefs, Buccaneers players in Super Bowl 2021 🏈
Ranking the best Chiefs, Buccaneers players in Super Bowl 2021: Will Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady top the list?
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to host the Kansas City Chiefs for Super Bowl LV after winning three consecutive road playoff games to finally get that home game for the biggest contest of the year. Quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady headline the matchup, but neither team lacks elite talent at key positions, which is a big reason these two teams find themselves with an opportunity to bring home a Lombardi trophy.
As we did last year, Pro Football Focus ranked all 44 projected Super Bowl starters along with nine rotational players whom we expect to play key roles. The order is heavily influenced by 2020 PFF grades and positional ranks -- which are included for each player -- but it isn't solely based on that one data point, as the rankings also factor in past play and the role each player is asked to execute. We're including the grades for all 53 players, along with their overall ranking for their position.
We kick things off with the headliners, two top-five quarterbacks who will each be looking to add another Super Bowl ring to their collection.
1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
Grade: 92.3 | Position Rank: 4
Mahomes may not have graded out as the best quarterback in the NFL over a regular season where the Chiefs were seemingly just biding time until the playoffs began, but his 95.2 PFF grade since the start of the 2018 season ranks first at the position. In his first three years as a starter, he already has staked a claim to being the best player at the most important position in the NFL, and he has shown that no lead is safe in the postseason. His 112.3 passer rating when trailing in the playoffs is nearly 10 points higher than any other quarterback with at least 100 such dropbacks since 2010. 2. Tom Brady, QB, Buccaneers
Grade: 93.7 | Position Rank: 2
There were whispers about whether Brady was on the way out after a down year last season in New England, but the 43-year-old responded by making it to his 10th Super Bowl and grading out as the second-best quarterback in the NFL through the conference championship games. He was not, in fact, on the way out. Brady has shown few signs of his age in a Buccaneers offense that prioritizes the deep ball, having completed a league-high 36 passes targeted 20 or more yards downfield over the course of the regular season.
Kelce has had competition for the title of league's top tight end for several years, whether it be Rob Gronkowski in New England or George Kittle in San Francisco, but there was no such battle in 2020. Kelce's 79 combined first downs and touchdowns led the league regardless of position in 2020, and it nearly doubled the third-place mark at tight end, with only Darren Waller (69) truly in the same vicinity. He remained one of the game's biggest receiving threats while also posting his highest PFF run-blocking grade since his rookie season in 2014. 4. Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs
Grade: 85.9 | Position Rank: 10
The Buccaneers are very familiar with how dangerous Hill's speed is after giving up 203 yards to him alone before the second quarter started back in Week 12. Defenses know what's coming, but it doesn't matter. Since Mahomes took over as the team's starting quarterback in 2018, Hill's 19 receiving touchdowns on passes thrown 20 or more yards downfield are six more than any other player's, but that's far from the only way he can win. He and Kelce give the Chiefs the top receiving duo in the NFL.
5. Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs
Grade: 90.0 | Position Rank: 3
The Chiefs aren't considered to have a dominant defense overall, but Jones is a dominant force on the interior of their defensive line. His 92.8 pass-rushing grade was the second-highest mark in the NFL, trailing only the great Aaron Donald among all defenders. His 19.7% pass rush win rate since 2018 ranks second at the position behind only Donald once again. Few players can disrupt a play like Jones can, and the Chiefs will be hoping he gets through and does that a few times against Brady and the Buccaneers. 6. Lavonte David, LB, Buccaneers
Grade: 78.6 | Position Rank: 5
Coming into the NFL as a member of the 2012 draft class that also produced Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner, David is the forgotten man in that trio. But he has been one of the best linebackers in the league throughout much of his career. In fact, he leads all linebackers since 2012 in tackles for loss or no gain (172), and only Kuechly has a higher coverage grade at the position (93.4). 7. Vita Vea, DT, Buccaneers
Grade: 89.5 | Position Rank: 5
The return of Vea before the NFC Championship Game was a big one for Tampa Bay because he was developing into one of the most dominant interior defenders in the league before his Week 5 injury. His athleticism and ability to push the pocket as a pass-rusher at nearly 350 pounds is a rarity in the NFL. Across the first five weeks of the season, only Vea and Aaron Donald recorded pass rush win rates of 20% or higher on at least 100 pass-rushing snaps. 8. Ali Marpet, LG, Buccaneers
Grade: 81.1 | Position Rank: 4
You don't often point to a guard as a difference-maker on offense, but the Bucs' struggles at left guard in three games that Marpet missed earlier this season showed how he's one of the offense's most important players. Marpet allowed just 10 pressures across 514 pass-blocking snaps during the regular season. Joe Haeg and Ryan Jensen combined to allow 11 pressures over 129 pass-blocking snaps while filling in for the injured Marpet in Weeks 9 to 11. It's safe to say Tampa Bay was glad to get one of the best guards in football back. 9. Tristan Wirfs, RT, Buccaneers
Grade: 82.0 | Position Rank: 2
Rookie offensive tackles aren't supposed to come into the NFL and look as good as Wirfs has in Year 1. He has shown he can hold his own against some of the top pass-rushers in the NFL, a list that includes the likes of Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa and Cameron Jordan (on multiple occasions). He has been charged with just one sack all season across 769 pass-blocking snaps. The Buccaneers landed a steal with Wirfs as the fourth offensive tackle off the board in the 2020 NFL draft. 10. Tyrann Mathieu, S, Chiefs
Grade: 67.4 | Position Rank: 34
This has not been one of the best years of Mathieu's career from a PFF grade standpoint, but he plays such an important and diverse role in what Kansas City does defensively. That, along with his track record of success, commands respect. There is no bigger example of the kind of impact Mathieu can have on a game with his instinctive play than his divisional round performance against the Cleveland Browns in which he allowed minus-5 receiving yards into his coverage on six targets to go along with an interception. 11. Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers
Grade: 76.5 | Position Rank: 28
Godwin hasn't quite had the same season in 2020 as he did in 2019 -- a year in which he led all wide receivers in PFF grade -- but he remains one of the game's best young receivers, capable of winning at all levels of the field both from the slot and out wide. The failing of his hands in the playoffs is an aberration compared to what had been a sure-handed start to Godwin's career. Godwin has already dropped more passes in 27 postseason targets this year (seven) than in 342 career targets before this year's postseason (six).
12. Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers
Grade: 75.2 | Position Rank: 39
Evans has battled his way through various injuries this season, but he still managed to rattle off his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard season to open his career, which is an NFL record. Along with being one of the league's top deep threats, Evans' size makes him a dangerous target close to the goal line. Only Davante Adams (14) and Adam Thielen (13) had more red zone receiving touchdowns than Evans (nine) did throughout the regular season. 13. Antonio Brown, WR, Buccaneers
Grade: 82.8 | Position Rank: 15
Brown's talent was never in question as he looked for another team to give him an opportunity, but there were questions about his fit in Tampa Bay both off and on the field in an offense that already had plenty of mouths to feed. Up to this point, though, the signing appears to be a successful one, with Brown profiling as one of the most efficient receivers on the team. His 1.95 receiving yards per route run are second on the team to only Godwin (1.96), and he has dropped just one pass in 68 targets since signing with Tampa Bay. 14. Shaquil Barrett, Edge, Buccaneers
Grade: 73.0 | Position Rank: 23
The Buccaneers took a chance on Barrett before the 2019 season after he spent years as a rotational edge rusher in a crowded Denver Broncos defense, and that chance has paid off in a big way through two seasons. Barrett's 157 quarterback pressures since the start of the 2019 season are more than any other edge defender's in the NFL, and he has fewer sacks at the position than only T.J. Watt. 15. Carlton Davis, CB, Buccaneers
Grade: 65.4 | Position Rank: 47
Davis has not graded as well as fellow outside cornerback Jamel Dean, but he is often tasked with the more difficult assignments in coverage, shadowing opposing teams' top wide receivers. That has come with disastrous results at times, like against Hill back when these teams first met, but he's also had success against the likes of Michael Thomas. Davis' 34 forced incompletions since the start of the 2019 season are five more than any other cornerback in the NFL. 16. Jamel Dean, CB, Buccaneers
Grade: 74.4 | Position Rank: 15
Like Davis, Dean has shown a propensity to make plays on the football. His 16.1% forced incompletion rate over the past two seasons ranks fifth among cornerbacks who have seen at least 100 passes thrown into their coverage, and just 32 of the 112 passes into his coverage have resulted in first downs (29%). That is the lowest rate in the league among 68 qualifying cornerbacks. 17. Derrick Nnadi, DT, Chiefs
Grade: 75.6 | Position Rank: 25
Nnadi's job in this Chiefs defense is to stop the run, and he's good at it. His 82.0 run-defense grade through the AFC Championship Game ranks seventh among all interior defenders. Just don't expect much contribution from him rushing the passer, as Nnadi had just nine pressures in 206 pass-rushing snaps over the regular season. 18. Antoine Winfield, S, Buccaneers
Grade: 66.5 | Position Rank: 36
Winfield, along with Wirfs, looks like a cornerstone piece of the Buccaneers' 2020 draft class. He flashed a well-rounded game as a rookie with contributions in coverage, in run defense and even as an occasional pass-rusher in Tampa Bay's blitz-heavy scheme. Winfield's 84.9 run-defense grade on the season ranks third among qualifying safeties, and he picked up nine pressures -- a top-10 mark at the position -- on just 51 pass-rushing snaps. 19. L'Jarius Sneed, CB, Chiefs
Grade: 71.3 | Position Rank: 22
Sneed's name didn't come off the board until the fourth round of the 2020 draft, but there is a strong case for him being the most impressive rookie cornerback this season. His 53.4 passer rating allowed on throws into his coverage during the regular season ranked third among all cornerbacks who faced at least 40 targets, behind only Denver's Bryce Callahan (46.9) and Miami's Xavien Howard (53.0). And he did that while splitting time between the slot and outside cornerback, which only makes it more impressive.
20. Ryan Jensen, C, Buccaneers
Grade: 65.7 | Position Rank: 17
Jensen had his issues at times in pass protection this year -- some of which came while playing out of position at left guard for Marpet -- but he had another strong showing as a run-blocker. Jensen joins Corey Linsley, Jason Kelce, Frank Ragnow, Ben Jones, Brandon Linder and Alex Mack as the only centers with 70-plus run-blocking grades in each of the past two seasons. His 77.0 run-blocking grade through the NFC Championship Game this season ranks fifth at the position. 21. Rashad Fenton, CB, Chiefs
Grade: 70.0 | Position Rank: 20
Fenton played well, albeit on a small sample size, as a sixth-round rookie for the Chiefs in 2019, and he has continued to build on that in a larger role this season. After starting outside at cornerback for the suspended Bashaud Breeland earlier in the year, Fenton has transitioned to primarily a slot role of late. In that early-season stretch, he showed he could hold up outside, forcing as many incompletions (five) as he allowed first downs into his coverage. 22. Jordan Whitehead, S, Buccaneers
Grade: 70.1 | Position Rank: 25
Whitehead has endured an up-and-down start to his career from a grading perspective. He followed a promising 64.6 PFF grade as a rookie in 2018 -- including a 74.4 grade in coverage -- with a 44.0 overall grade last season, which was one of the worst marks at the position. The 2020 campaign has brought another big swing for Whitehead, as the third-year player has improved his grade by more than 25 points. He was having one of his best outings of the season in the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers before leaving with a shoulder injury. 23. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Buccaneers
Grade: 69.3 | Position Rank: 23
Injuries and time have eroded the first-ballot Hall of Fame player that Gronkowski was for much of his career, but he remains an effective complementary receiving option on an offense that isn't lacking primary targets in the passing game. Gronkowski's 68.4% contested catch rate during the regular season ranked second among tight ends who saw at least 15 such targets, behind only Las Vegas' Darren Waller. Those 50-50 balls are still ending up in Gronk's hands more often than not. 24. Bashaud Breeland, CB, Chiefs
Grade: 71.4 | Position Rank: 20
Following a 2019 season in which Breeland's coverage stats appeared much better than his PFF grade, the opposite has occurred in 2020. Including the postseason, Breeland's passer rating allowed rose from 68.6 in 2019 to 90.6 this season, but his coverage grade jumped from 51.3 to 78.0 as well. The biggest difference is that more of the incompletions on passes into his coverage this year have been because of Breeland himself rather than errant throws or drops by the receiver. He boasts a 16.2% forced incompletion rate in 2020 compared to an 8.2% mark in 2019. 25. Charvarius Ward, CB, Chiefs
Grade: 64.6 | Position Rank: 50
The only cornerback to draw more penalties than Ward over the course of the regular season (10) was Arizona's Patrick Peterson (14). That hurt his PFF grade, but it was still another solid season for the third-year cornerback out of Middle Tennessee. Ward has graded between 64.0 and 69.0 in each of his first three seasons, and he has been one of the surest tackling defensive backs in the league over that stretch, missing just nine tackles on 186 opportunities. 26. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs
Grade: 75.3 | Position Rank: 23
Edwards-Helaire might not have been the best value pick for Kansas City at the back end of the first round, but he has stepped in and profiled as an above-average running back in his first season with the Chiefs. His elusiveness, in particular, translated early in his NFL career. Edwards-Helaire's 35 missed tackles forced on the ground were tied for third among rookie rushers during the regular season, and he added 13 broken tackles as a receiver, which was second to only Jacksonville's James Robinson in the same group. 27. Austin Reiter, C, Chiefs
Grade: 69.2 | Position Rank: 12
In each of the past two seasons, Reiter has been a far superior pass protector at center than run-blocker. Given the Chiefs' pass-happy tendencies, it's safe to say that's the preferable split. To that point, Reiter has allowed pressure on just 1.1% of his pass-blocking snaps since the start of the 2019 season. That's the lowest rate in the league over that two-year stretch, even beating out Las Vegas' Rodney Hudson, who has dominated that category over the course of his career. 28. Cameron Brate, TE, Buccaneers
Grade: 69.3 | Position Rank: 23
Oddly enough, Brate has earned the exact same PFF grade as teammate Rob Gronkowski through the NFC Championship Game. And as of late, Brate has been the team's go-to option in the passing game at tight end. He is averaging nearly 3 yards per route run in the playoffs (2.98), while Gronkowski is averaging just 0.72 yards per route run in Tampa Bay's three postseason games. 29. Jason Pierre-Paul, Edge, Buccaneers
Grade: 66.8 | Position Rank: 48
Based purely on sack numbers, this spot would appear to be too low for Pierre-Paul, who made his first Pro Bowl since 2012 this season. His 9.5 sacks ranked eighth among edge defenders during the regular season, but his 71.4 pass-rushing grade (34th) and 8.9% pressure rate (74th) don't tell quite the same story. That -- along with just a 53.5 run-defense grade for a normally reliable run defender -- led to a good, not great, season for the former first-round selection out of USF.
It's not exactly going out on a limb to say this ranking for a player who was a second-team All-Pro linebacker will turn some heads. To start with his strengths, White has the kind of athleticism and sideline-to-sideline ability that teams covet at the linebacker position, and it is a big part of what makes him one of the best blitzing threats in the league. However, his PFF grade sits where it does because he often finds himself taken out of both run and pass plays as a result of simply being out of position or overpursuing. 31. Nick Allegretti, LG, Chiefs
Grade: 68.0 | Position Rank: 10
On the opposite end of the spectrum from Reiter, who is a few spots ahead of him, Allegretti has earned a top-10 run-blocking grade at the left guard position this season to go along with a pass-blocking grade in the bottom half of the league. He has produced solid results in pass protection since the postseason began, however, allowing just three pressures -- all quarterback hurries -- across the past two weeks. 32. Ronald Jones II, RB, Buccaneers
Grade: 74.1 | Position Rank: 27
If only Jones wasn't a liability in the passing game, the Buccaneers would have one of the better running backs in the league. Jones' 84.7 rushing grade through the NFC Championship Game ranks sixth among all running backs with at least 100 carries, but he has dropped five of his 42 targets while averaging just 5.9 yards per reception. Until that aspect of his game improves, Jones' role and impact will continue to be limited. 33. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Buccaneers
Grade: 61.5 | Position Rank: 74
Suh is one of the league's iron men, rarely missing snaps over the past decade across seasons with the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams and Buccaneers. His 9,727 regular-season defensive snaps since 2010 are nearly 700 more than the next-closest defensive lineman (New Orleans' Cameron Jordan). However, having just turned 34 years old, Suh is heading toward a season with his lowest PFF grade since 2011. He's not quite the same player who produced grades of 75.0 or higher each year from 2012 to 2018. 34. Mike Remmers, OT, Chiefs
Grade: 75.9 | Position Rank: 13
Remmers was expected to be merely a depth piece along the offensive line coming into the season with Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher entrenched as the Chiefs' starting tackle duo. That was thrown out the window when an early injury to Schwartz moved Remmers to the starting right tackle position, where he has spent most of the year. Remmers has acquitted himself well in that role, earning a career-high 75.1 pass-blocking grade this season. And now with Fisher set to miss the Super Bowl with an Achilles tendon injury, it becomes even more important for Remmers to hold his own against a talented Buccaneers pass rush. 35. William Gholston, DT, Buccaneers
Grade: 61.8 | Position Rank: 71
Gholston has been with the Buccaneers for eight years after being drafted in the fourth round of the 2013 draft out of Michigan State. In the first seven seasons of his career, he topped out at 34 pressures in 2015 and a 64.9 pass-rushing grade last season. Gholston set career-highs in both of those areas by a comfortable margin this year, with 47 regular-season pressures and a 79.1 pass-rushing grade that ranks 12th among qualifying interior defenders. 36. Sammy Watkins, WR, Chiefs
Grade: 64.4 | Position Rank: 88
Injuries have limited Watkins to the worst season in his seven-year career, both from a PFF grade and a raw receiving production standpoint. He has yet to play in this year's postseason after suffering a calf injury in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons, but the Chiefs hope he is able to return for the Super Bowl after his 288 receiving yards in the 2019 playoffs were second most in the league behind only Davante Adams. 37. Mecole Hardman, WR, Chiefs
Grade: 69.1 | Position Rank: 69
Hardman put the Chiefs in an early hole in the AFC Championship Game against Buffalo with a muffed punt, but quickly helped them dig out of that hole with a 50-yard run and a touchdown reception. His role remains limited in Kansas City's offense, but his touches and looks in the passing game have brought success. Hardman's 139.8 passer rating when targeted since the start of the 2019 season ranks first among all wide receivers with at least 50 regular-season targets.
An undrafted rookie out of Missouri S&T, Wharton has given the Chiefs solid depth along their defensive line, primarily in pass-rushing situations. His 22 pressures during the regular season were fourth among all rookie defenders behind only Chase Young, Derrick Brown and K'Lavon Chaisson. Wharton has had several high-quality pass-rush wins in the postseason, as well. His 75.8 pass-rushing grade through the Chiefs' two playoff games this year is the highest on the team, ahead of even Chris Jones. 39. Juan Thornhill, S, Chiefs
Grade: 58.2 | Position Rank: 67
Thornhill failed to build on the promise he showed as a rookie in coverage last season, allowing 301 passing yards into his coverage this year after allowing just 127 yards in 2019 on over 100 more coverage snaps. He is coming off of arguably his best game of the season in the AFC Championship Game, though. Thornhill's 86.9 PFF grade in that game was his highest of the season, and he'll have the opportunity to carry that over into the Super Bowl, unlike last season when he missed the team's postseason run due to injury. 40. Scotty Miller, WR, Buccaneers
Grade: 69.2 | Position Rank: 68
The addition of Antonio Brown ate into a big portion of the role Miller looked to be carving out next to Godwin and Evans early in the season. Miller took advantage of multiple injuries to Tampa Bay's receiving corps early in the year and recorded at least 70 receiving yards in four of the team's first six games, but he has yet to hit that mark in 11 games since. As he showed in the NFC Championship Game, defenses have to respect his speed. His 16.1-yard average depth of target was the highest on Tampa Bay this season. 41. Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB, Buccaneers
Grade: 58.4 | Position Rank: 72
Murphy-Bunting's three recent interceptions -- one in each of the Buccaneers' three postseason games -- might be front of mind, but he was the player who teams opted to pick on in the secondary for much of the season. The 804 receiving yards he allowed in coverage were sixth-most in the NFL this season, and he made few plays on the ball to make up for those coverage lapses. Murphy-Bunting had just one interception and two forced incompletions in the regular season. 42. Donovan Smith, LT, Buccaneers
Grade: 71.0 | Position Rank: 25
At full strength, Smith is the weak link on what is otherwise a strong Tampa Bay offensive line. His 71.0 PFF grade this season is the highest in his six-year career as the starting left tackle for the Buccaneers, but that was still only good enough to rank 25th among qualifying left tackles this year. Smith's 272 pressures allowed since 2015 are more than anyone else's in the league. 43. Frank Clark, Edge, Chiefs
Grade: 55.3 | Position Rank: 94
There is no way to spin the Clark trade two seasons ago as a win for the Chiefs. Per Over the Cap, the top five edge defenders in average salary per year are now Joey Bosa, Myles Garrett, Khalil Mack, Demarcus Lawrence and Frank Clark. Their 2020 regular-season pass rush win rates with ranks among 114 qualifying edge defenders were 23.8% (1st), 19.1% (7th), 20.1% (3rd), 17.7% (13th) and 10.0% (92nd), respectively. It's safe to say the Chiefs were hoping for more when bringing him in to play next to Jones. 44. Leonard Fournette, RB, Buccaneers
Grade: 64.4 | Position Rank: 51
Fournette is another guy who is playing his best football of the season in the playoffs. His 82.1 rushing grade in the NFC Championship Game against Green Bay was the highest single-game mark of his career. When looking at the entire season, however, Fournette has forced just 13 missed tackles on 145 carries, including the game against the Packers, and he has been far from a reliable outlet in the passing game with seven drops on 63 targets.
The linebacker position is a weak spot for the Chiefs and Wilson is not an exception. He stands out as a sure tackler -- missing just 10 tackles in more than 150 opportunities over the past two seasons -- but teams have been able to exploit his coverage over the middle of the field. Wilson has allowed a passer rating of 121.3 into his coverage since the start of the 2019 season, which is a bottom-10 mark at the position. 46. Darrel Williams, RB, Chiefs
Grade: 68.0 | Position Rank: 45
While the signing of Le'Veon Bell drew plenty of headlines, it has been the former undrafted free agent out of LSU, Williams, who has logged the second-most snaps at running back (246) behind Edwards-Helaire since Bell signed. With Bell sidelined and Edwards-Helaire returning from injury, Williams received 14 of the 21 running back touches in the AFC Championship Game against Buffalo. Williams is averaging just 6.1 yards per reception on his 23 catches this season, but he has picked up 25 combined first downs or touchdowns on 65 rushing attempts, which is a strong rate. 47. Andrew Wylie, G, Chiefs
Grade: 56.2 | Position Rank: 32
Wylie missed the Chiefs' 2019 Super Bowl run with an injury, and he hasn't been quite as effective in his return to the lineup this season. His pressure rate allowed spiked from 3.3% last year to 5.5% in the 2020 regular season, and that number doesn't include the 22 times he was beaten in pass protection without allowing pressure. The injury to Fisher forced Wylie from right guard to right tackle last week, and that's a weakness Tampa Bay could look to exploit in Super Bowl LV. 48. Stefen Wisniewski, G, Chiefs
Grade: 59.7 | Position Rank: N/A
With Wylie likely kicking out to tackle, it appears as if Wisniewski will once again be called upon in reserve duty for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. That makes it two years in a row for Wisniewski, who didn't even begin the season on Kansas City's roster. Wisniewski was the Chiefs' highest-graded interior offensive lineman during last year's postseason run (67.5) filling in for Wylie, and he didn't allow a pressure in limited action against Buffalo in the AFC Championship Game this year. 49. Anthony Hitchens, LB, Chiefs
Grade: 52.8 | Position Rank: 52
Hitchens' 52.8 PFF grade in 2020 is actually an improvement over the 37.5 and 44.4 grades he produced in each of the past two seasons, but that speaks more to how poorly he played in 2018 and 2019 than his level of play this season. One area where Hitchens has improved significantly is his tackling. He missed just four tackles in the 2020 regular season after missing 10 or more in each of 2018 and 2019. 50. Alex Okafor, Edge, Chiefs
Grade: 53.4 | Position Rank: 100
Okafor had several decent seasons toward the end of his time with the Arizona Cardinals and in his two years with the New Orleans Saints, but that hasn't translated to Kansas City. Okafor has just 41 regular-season pressures in two seasons with the Chiefs, and 20 of those 41 pressures have been charted as unblocked or "cleanup" opportunities. He simply hasn't won his one-on-one pass-rushing matchups at a high rate. 51. Daniel Sorensen, S, Chiefs
Grade: 48.0 | Position Rank: 85
Sorensen is one of two Chiefs defenders -- joining Tyrann Mathieu -- to play more than 1,000 defensive snaps this season, but his 48.0 PFF grade is lower than any defender on the team to play at least 200 snaps. While he hasn't been great in coverage, run defense has been the real problem area for Sorensen, who plays the majority of his snaps in a box safety role. Sorensen's 29.6 run-defense grade on the season ranks last among all safeties.
Kpassagnon is another one of the Chiefs' defensive linemen who has struggled to generate a consistent pass rush next to Jones. Sixty-six edge defenders have rushed the passer at least 500 times since the start of the 2019 season, and Kpassagnon's 7.0% pressure rate over that stretch is the lowest of the bunch. Whether it's Okafor or Kpassagnon opposite Clark, the Chiefs are unlikely to find much pressure off the edge against Brady and a solid Buccaneers offensive line. 53. Aaron Stinnie, G, Buccaneers
Grade: 56.1 | Position Rank: N/A
Rounding out the list is Stinnie, who is starting only because of a season-ending injury Alex Cappa suffered in the wild-card round against Washington. Stinnie has produced PFF pass-blocking grades of 48.2 and 26.9 in his two starts since the injury to go along with respectable, albeit unexciting, contributions as a run-blocker. Things aren't going to get any easier in Super Bowl LV with a matchup against Chris Jones.
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Ranking the best Chiefs, Buccaneers players in Super Bowl 2021 🏈
1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
2. Tom Brady, QB, Buccaneers
4. Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs
6. Lavonte David, LB, Buccaneers
7. Vita Vea, DT, Buccaneers
8. Ali Marpet, LG, Buccaneers
9. Tristan Wirfs, RT, Buccaneers
10. Tyrann Mathieu, S, Chiefs
11. Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers
13. Antonio Brown, WR, Buccaneers
14. Shaquil Barrett, Edge, Buccaneers
15. Carlton Davis, CB, Buccaneers
16. Jamel Dean, CB, Buccaneers
17. Derrick Nnadi, DT, Chiefs
18. Antoine Winfield, S, Buccaneers
19. L'Jarius Sneed, CB, Chiefs
21. Rashad Fenton, CB, Chiefs
22. Jordan Whitehead, S, Buccaneers
23. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Buccaneers
24. Bashaud Breeland, CB, Chiefs
25. Charvarius Ward, CB, Chiefs
26. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs
27. Austin Reiter, C, Chiefs
28. Cameron Brate, TE, Buccaneers
29. Jason Pierre-Paul, Edge, Buccaneers
31. Nick Allegretti, LG, Chiefs
32. Ronald Jones II, RB, Buccaneers
33. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Buccaneers
34. Mike Remmers, OT, Chiefs
35. William Gholston, DT, Buccaneers
36. Sammy Watkins, WR, Chiefs
37. Mecole Hardman, WR, Chiefs
38. Tershawn Wharton, DT, Chiefs
39. Juan Thornhill, S, Chiefs
40. Scotty Miller, WR, Buccaneers
41. Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB, Buccaneers
42. Donovan Smith, LT, Buccaneers
43. Frank Clark, Edge, Chiefs
44. Leonard Fournette, RB, Buccaneers
45. Damien Wilson, LB, Chiefs
46. Darrel Williams, RB, Chiefs
47. Andrew Wylie, G, Chiefs
48. Stefen Wisniewski, G, Chiefs
49. Anthony Hitchens, LB, Chiefs
50. Alex Okafor, Edge, Chiefs
51. Daniel Sorensen, S, Chiefs
53. Aaron Stinnie, G, Buccaneers
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