Chiefs DL Charles Omenihu named to Touchdown Wire’s All-Underrated Team for 2023
Could one of the newest members of the Kansas City Chiefs actually be their most underrated player heading into the 2023 NFL season?
Our friend Doug Farrar over at Touchdown Wire recently assembled a list of the most underrated player on all 32 NFL teams, naming a secret superstar for each team heading into 2023. Omenihu was his choice for the Chiefs given his ability to affect the quarterback from a number of different gaps.
Check it out:
Like a lot of players, Charles Omenihu got better when he was coached by former 49ers defensive coordinator and new Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans. Omenihu, selected in the fifth round of the 2019 draft out of Texas, was a decent rotational pass-rusher for the Texans for 2 1/2 seasons. But when the 49ers traded for him in November, 2021, the light went on. Now, Omenihu will ply his trade with the Chiefs in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, on a two-year, $16 million contract.
Last season, the 6-foot-5, 280 pound Omenihu had seven sacks, 12 quarterback hits, and 43 quarterback hurries in just 475 pass-rushing snaps. He’s more of a multi-gap pass-rusher than a run defender, and that’s fine, because he’s become quite good at the whole pass-rushing thing from all over the place. Spagnuolo loves to bring chaos with his fronts, so he’ll have fun with Omenihu.
Farrar emphasized Omenihu’s versatility and utility by showing his two sacks during the NFC Wild-Card round against the Seattle Seahawks last season. On one sack, Omenihu was shaded over the center and rushed all the way around the right tackle, putting the guard tasked with blocking him in conflict. On the other sack, Omenihu used a slick inside counter move. You can check both of those plays out over on Touchdown Wire.
Basically, Omenihu is going to provide Steve Spagnuolo with another pass-rushing chess piece who can wear a lot of different hats on a snap-to-snap basis.
