themselves with when it comes to the upcoming draft?"Just like the entirety of the 2018 season Demetrius Harris Jersey , there are more questions than answers on the defensive side of the football for the Kansas City Chiefs. With the new NFL year quickly approaching, there still isn’t much out there on what route the team will take in order to fix the major problems on defense that ultimately led to their season ending in the AFC championship game.There hasn’t been any new news regarding Eric Berry’s injuries, a solution for them or if he’s even capable of playing next year. Justin Houston is under contract, but that could very easily change in a matter of weeks. Dee Ford is an unrestricted free agent but that title is likely to change with the franchise tag.How much flexibility the Chiefs do or not have will be determined primarily by those three players—regardless of what happens to those big-ticket players, there are still short and long-term questions at two critical positions: defensive end and cornerback. Regardless of Ford’s franchise Mitchell Schwartz Jersey , Houston stays in 2019 or Eric Berry’s contract remains on the cap, the need to upgrade both positions is important. While there are more answers at pass rush in 2019, the outlook could drastically change in 2020. The cornerback currently has the least amount of talent under contract for next season. What position should be prioritized with the Chiefs’ round-one selection? We laid out two strong cases on this week’s episode of the AP Laboratory.Defensive endThere is a strong class of players for us with late-second, early-third-round grades. Conversely, there is a strong upper class of edge rushers like Brian Burns and Jachai Polite that have been mocked to the Chiefs or are available for a small trade up into the early 20s. The best chance of an impact pass rushers falls on the athletic traits that can be found in the first round. Players like Frank Clark could be had in some years in the second De’Anthony Thomas Jersey , but the traits weren’t what pushed him into the second day—it was an off-field issue. Pairing great athletic traits at the EDGE rusher position with a first-round selection and then being aggressive to ensure a player like Rock Ya Sin or Joejuan Williams at cornerback in the second round gives you a chance to improve the talent at two positions, even if you aren’t getting a chance at a top-tier corner. The athletic traits at EDGE are harder to come by on the second day. Adding a mid-level free agent to the mix along with a second-round pick at cornerback should easily upgrade the talent over what the Chiefs had in 2018.It is very possible that Justin Houston and Dee Ford aren’t on the roster in 2020. Your top pass rusher will be Breeland Speaks and whatever you can acquire in free agency and the draft next year. Taking a defensive end this year ensures that player has a year to develop and prepare to take on a big responsibility in 2020. If most of the pass rushers don’t make it to the open market in 2020 like they appear to not be this year, it will be hard to piece it together. There are more mid-level solutions at corner hitting the market than there are pass rushers who can make an impact. CornerbackCornerback does have the least amount of talent on this roster and just because you’re not investing your top pick there doesn’t mean the Chiefs won’t address it. Top-flight cornerbacks are equally hard to come by as the EDGE position and you typically have to find one in the first round. The corner position can make a drastic jump in talent and production by acquiring the talents of Chad Reuter and answered your questions in this week’s episode of the AP Laboratory.Patrick Mahomes Week 2 film review: something improved and something that needs improvement This is part three of a three-part weekly film analysis on the performance of Patrick Mahomes.Part one here, part two here.Something improvedIt’s the day before the Chiefs host the Bengals in the divisional round of the 2018 NFL Playoffs. The Chiefs have a chance to win their first home playoff game in more than 20 years. It won’t be easy though. The Chiefs are 4.5 point underdogs. Chad Henne is the starter. Mahomes took an unnecessary shot that resulted in a shoulder tear. He’ll miss whatever games the Chiefs might play in January.That wouldn’t be fun. If the Chiefs are going to avoid a situation like that, we need to continue to see this:The Chiefs are up 21-7 in the second quarter against the Steelers. It’s third-and-15. Mahomes scrambles out of the pocket and runs for a gain of 10. With players nearing him in pursuit Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Jersey , he slides, leading to an eventual punt. He could have pushed the limits to try and get that first down. He could have tried to make a statement that he had arrived, taken on a defender and played a little hero ball to try and get the first down.I think Mahomes is starting to understand the ramifications of him getting hurt. He put himself in harm’s way a little too much in LA. Last week, I talked about his need to protect himself. He was much improved in Pittsburgh.The season is effectively over if Mahomes ever gets hurt. Draft season will start much sooner. He needs to continue to be thoughtful about protecting himself at all times.Needs improvementI have a feeling this is going to be a talking point for a while.Mahomes wants to take a shot to Tyreek Hill off of play action. At the top of his drop, he hitches to deliver the throw but elects not to and hitches again. The second hitch led him into the back of Mitch Morse and the nose tackle he was blocking. Had Mahomes stopped on the first hitch Ron Parker Jersey , he had multiple options at his disposal that could’ve been positive plays. He could’ve hit the wide open Demetrius Harris in the middle of the field. He could’ve initiated scramble rules with his receivers by escaping to the immense amount of space he could have found to his right. He ran out of space to give one of those a chance.Mahomes was committed to the shot and used up his space to do it. He had viable options elsewhere, but wasn’t space efficient enough to realize them. He ate up his free space. This will understandably continue to be a theme throughout the season. He’s young and new at this. He hasn’t totally settled into his new home. Mahomes sometimes loses track of his confinement when he is forced to hang in the pocket. He can’t waste what room he has to work. He’s got the ball out so quick and on time in most instances that it hasn’t mattered. He’s been throwing a lot in rhythm and on time, which has been a lot of fun to watch. When he’s got to hang in there a little longer, the results have been more inconsistent.We’ll be monitoring this all season. He’s been very good in a lot of areas, but there remains a lot of room to grow with moments like these. He’s been fantastic and will continue to impress us. There’s more there to develop Allen Bailey Jersey , and that should scare the league.The realization of Mahomes’ high ceiling will be found in the pocket. If he can become an assassin there, giving the structure of plays a chance as long as he can, he’ll be one of the best quarterbacks in football for a long time.