Entering the 2021 season, expectations will begin to shift for certain players. Can players take the next step? Will those individuals be able to carve out more well-rounded roles? Inside the Kansas City Chiefs locker room, there are some notable breakout candidates to keep in mind for this upcoming season. Our focus will now fall to the defensive line with second year player Tershawn Wharton.

It has been stated heavily that Chris Jones will be playing multiple spots on the defensive line this season. Meanwhile, Steve Spagnuolo also mentioned that Wharton and Mike Danna will likely do the same. With the player we are focusing on today, he already had a slight exposure to that last year. And he generally had no issues when rotating around up front. In a year where the defensive line could be collectively improved in Kansas City, the Chiefs could have their next long term stalwart in Tershawn Wharton. He certainly has the tools to take another step forward and breakout.

The Cream Rises To The Top

One of the old sayings in evaluating NFL talent certainly applies to Wharton. No matter where you play your college ball, as long as you have talent, they will find you. General manager Brett Veach and his scouting staff have not always hit home runs with every draft pick. Some recent results appear better than older ones on the surface. But generally, they have done an incredible job of taking advantage during the UDFA signing period.

Coming out of rarely-heard Missouri S&T, no one expected Wharton to see starting action so quickly. He was just as persistent as his impressive speed is against opposing interior blockers. Eventually, he was going to find an opening to exploit. The talent of Tershawn Wharton was not going to be held down for long. But, could even the Chiefs have foreseen what we saw from him last year? He certainly provided a spark and it came in a variety of roles.

Versatile Pass Rusher

Having a multitude of moves in your pass rush arsenal is of the utmost importance when entering the NFL. That is what made Tershawn Wharton even more impressive during his rookie season last year. To come out of a smaller school and have those different answers for opposing blockers was important for both he and the Chiefs.

The way in which Wharton uses his hands to combat blocks is likely the aspect that stands out the most. When rushing the passer, he quickly extends his arms and creates separation within him and the defender. From there, you see Wharton build off of other pass rush moves. He likes to use a swim and rip move as well. The speed, euro steps and even jab steps that Wharton employs are often extremely deceptive towards the opposing blockers.

Where could Tershawn Wharton improve in this area? There is not much to point towards in a major way. If anything, one would like to see the former UDFA take swifter angles. We saw a little bit of an improvement in this regard during last week's preseason game. If Wharton can stick to the inside more often, rather than looping and rounding off his rush, Kansas City could receive more pressures and sacks from him.

Determined Run Defender

Playing the run to a tee was still a work in progress throughout last season. For Wharton, his effort is relentless. Due to his range and impressive change of direction skills for his size, Kansas City was able to see him make stops on backside pursuit. We are not used to seeing the burst and bend from other Chiefs defensive linemen when playing the run, excluding Chris Jones.

Wharton showed an ability of winning reps quickly. By disengaging from blocks and providing noticeable strength up front, he was able to cause havoc in the backfield more often than many expected. In all honesty, Turk entered the league with more polish in this area than I would have guessed. The team is still looking for more common stops up the middle this upcoming season, however.

Where could Tershawn Wharton improve in this area? Plugging gaps and working towards the inside shoulder is still a work in progress. Going back to earlier, Wharton wants to work from inside to out. If teams pick up on that more and more, Kansas City may be put into a bind once again when trying to run defend. Wharton will also look to squeeze down and collapse on angles with a more decisive attack. Too often last year, he was stuck trying to reach a wider angle. If that happens, Kansas City will eventually up his usage to more than just obvious passing situations.

Here To Stay

Jarran Reed was a bit of an under the radar signing. This move should help many Chiefs players on defense. It will also allow for opponents to focus on Jones less, as well as less on Wharton. Though, the former Seahawks defender is only signed for one year. On the other hand, Derrick Nnadi's rookie contract expires after this season and Khalen Saunders has had a slow start to his career.

Due to possible future salary cap questions, it may be Tershawn Wharton who is eventually called upon in an every down role. Pairing with Jones, he has a similar skillset. The burst is there. The strength is growing. Additionally, the instincts are already well advanced for a former UDFA signing. Kansas City could indeed have another longtime stalwart in the trenches, if Wharton takes another crucial step in 2021.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.