KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A closer look at the positions the Kansas City Chiefs could target at the NFL combine in Indianapolis:

Positions of need: The Chiefs have no glaring needs, particularly if they retain potential unrestricted free agents in safety Eric Berry and defensive lineman Dontari Poe. But they have areas due for an upgrade. They could use a versatile running back depending on their plans for Jamaal Charles. Even if Charles plays, there's no guarantee he will be the same player he was before his 2015 torn ACL. The Chiefs can't go through another season with the same running back situation. They lost versatile inside linebacker Derrick Johnson late last season with the second torn Achilles tendon of his career. Even if Johnson makes it back next season, he turns 35 in November, so it isn't premature to be thinking about his eventual replacement. The Chiefs also need to be thinking long-term at quarterback, and this might be the year for them to draft one in the first round.

Three players the Chiefs could focus on at the combine:

RB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford: Because the Chiefs also have Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West (and possibly Charles) available at running back, they wouldn't need McCaffrey to necessarily be an every-down player, at least not right away. But they'll need his help, and he certainly looks capable of providing it -- at least on a part-time basis. He catches the ball well -- a necessity for a back in coach Andy Reid's offense -- and is capable of delivering big plays, even if he's not as fast as Charles once was.

LB Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt: The Chiefs have been spoiled over the years by the remarkably consistent play of Johnson, who was equally effective against the run and the pass. So if they're going to select his eventual replacement in the first round, they need him to be in that mold. Cunningham has the versatility to be that kind of player. He was listed at just 230 pounds at Vanderbilt, so Cunningham probably would have to put on weight in order to be an effective every-down player in the NFL.

QB Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech: Mahomes played in the spread offense in college, which should concern the Chiefs. Such quarterbacks rarely make a successful transition to NFL offensive systems. But if there's any team that can afford to be patient with Mahomes, it's the Chiefs, who have Alex Smith under contract for two more seasons. The Chiefs under general manager John Dorsey and Reid have been remarkably patient with developmental quarterbacks, particularly Tyler Bray. He's been in Kansas City four seasons and hasn't played in a game. Mahomes has more potential than any of the others, Bray included.