Chiefs Rookie Defensive End Mike Danna is Showing He Belongs in the Rotation
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has already established himself as one of the best general managers in the NFL. The way he manipulated the salary cap this offseason made many fan bases jealous. Veach has also been among the best GMs across the league in drafting since taking the reins in 2017.
Typically, it takes a few years to see if a draft class will be a hit or miss. After his first stand-alone draft class in 2018 (John Dorsey was the general manager for the Chiefs during the 2017 draft featuring Patrick Mahomes), he received a lot of backlash. Turns out, it was his worst draft. However, he has hit big in his next two swings, including this current crop of rookies on the Chiefs.
Everyone figured Chiefs’ first-round draft pick, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, would be a perfect fit in Andy Reid’s offense. So far, so good in his first three games as a Chief. Second-round linebacker Willie Gay Jr. has been pretty quiet but has gotten more playing time each week. Third-round offensive lineman Lucas Niang opted out because of COVID-19, so there will have to be a wait-and-see approach with him over the next year or two.
Round four brought the Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. He broke his collarbone in the Week 3 matchup against the Ravens but had two interceptions in as many games to start the season. He was looking like a defensive rookie of the year candidate before the injury, as he was shutting down receivers after being thrust into a starting role due to suspensions and injuries in the secondary.
This brings us to the fifth round. The Chiefs drafted a defensive end named Mike Danna. When the Chiefs made this pick, personally, I was a little bit confused by it. There were other players on the board, both defensively and offensively, that seemed to be a better fit. Danna played his senior season at Michigan as a part-time player but played his previous three seasons at Central Michigan. The Chiefs already had pretty good depth at the position.
So far, early in the season, Danna has received more playing time than was originally expected. At the start of the season, he was the fifth defensive end on the depth chart behind Frank Clark, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Alex Okafor, and Taco Charlton. However, it didn’t take him long to work his way into the rotation.
Danna was in for 29 snaps in week one, 39 snaps in week two, and 23 snaps (43%) in week three against the Ravens. Not only is he getting on the field, but he has been making plays. He recorded three tackles in his rookie debut, he got his first career sack early in the third quarter that set the tone in a week two victory over the Chargers, and while he only made one tackle against the Ravens, he helped set the edge and contain Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore running backs.
There were higher expectations for some of the rookies drafted ahead of Danna, but so far, the fifth-round pick has made the most of his opportunities. As the season progresses, the Chiefs will have yet another weapon at their disposal, this time in the form of a rotational rookie out of Michigan, on the defensive side of the ball. If you haven’t been paying attention, look for No. 51 on Sunday as the Chiefs take on the Patriots.
