The Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of the greatest stretch of sustained success in franchise history, and while these types of runs are typically buoyed by older players, the reigning Super Bowl champions continue to win with one of the league's youngest rosters.
In fact, three members of the Chiefs landed on NFL.com’s annual “All-Under-25 Team” last week, as center Creed Humphrey, offensive guard Trey Smith and linebacker Nick Bolton all made the cut. Kansas City matched the New York Jets for the most representatives of any team.
It marked the second-straight year that both Humphrey and Smith earned spots on the team, which was compiled by "Around the NFL" writer Nick Shook. The honor was well-deserved, too, following a campaign in which the duo yielded just two combined sacks across 1,466 pass-blocking snaps. Humphrey, in particular, earned the top overall Pro Football Focus grade among all centers in 2022. Here's what Shook wrote about Humphrey:
"There are two elite centers in the NFL right now. One (Jason Kelce) is returning for what might be his final season, and the other (Humphrey) is just getting started. Humphrey earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl last season, and I'm willing to guarantee it won't be his last."
Smith was tremendous last season as well, garnering the ninth-best Pro Football Focus grade among all offensive guards to tally at least 1,000 total snaps. Here's more on Smith from Shook:
"No surprise here. Smith has been excellent since he arrived in the NFL two years ago. The Chiefs have remained elite thanks, in part, to the pivotal draft picks that helped them rebuild their offensive line prior to the 2021 season. Of course, having Patrick Mahomes at quarterback helps, too. Smith was one of those picks in 2021 and, as a sixth-round selection (226th overall), he's already exceeded expectations."
On the other side of the ball, Bolton checked in on Shook's list after racking up 180 tackles in 2022. Here's what Shook had to say about the Chiefs' star linebacker:
"With the rise in popularity of sub packages, off-ball linebackers don't get as much love as they once did. The Chiefs' defense doesn't receive as much attention as it deserves, either, leaving players like Bolton in the shadow of Patrick Mahomes. Regardless, Bolton has played like a seasoned veteran since he joined the Chiefs in 2021, ranking second in the league in tackles with a franchise-record 180 last season and making a massive play in Kansas City's Super Bowl LVII victory."
The Chiefs are enjoying a run of success never before seen in franchise history, and as this list indicates, the reigning Super Bowl champions are just getting started. For a look at the entire "All-Under-25 Team," click here.
