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Despite a rough 2025, Chiefs DT Derrick Nnadi’s advanced metrics improved.
Not much went right for the Kansas City Chiefs over the course of the 2025-26 campaign. At one point, they sat 5-3 and seemed poised to make another deep playoff run. Just weeks later, though, they were below .500 and had their season on life support.
As expected, not many players managed to flash amidst the losing stretch. Andy Reid’s crew dropped its final six games of the year, with minimal brilliance presenting itself.
Despite that, one outlet believes there were some bright spots. One source of that in-season improvement is the unlikeliest of characters.
Derrick Nnadi Named Second-Half Riser by Pro Football Focus
In a February 11 story for Pro Football Focus, writer Thomas Valentine listed some of the most-improved players at each position in the second half of the season. In the article, Chiefs defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi made the cut.
According to PFF, Nnadi was the worst-graded interior defensive lineman in Weeks 1-9. Down the stretch, however, his metrics spiked.
“Despite the Chiefs’ overall woes, Nnadi did improve during his limited snap count in the second half of the season,” Valentine wrote. “Nnadi compiled a 61.1 PFF grade despite missing two games in Week 16 and 17. The run-stuffing big man also secured a 62.3 PFF run-defense grade and tallied six stops.”
During his prime, the 2018 third-round pick was a formidable run-stuffer capable of playing starter-level snaps. The Chiefs oftentimes relied on him to do so next to All-Pro Chris Jones. Now, he’s a rotational piece at best and doesn’t bring the same redeeming qualities to the table.
In 15 regular-season games this past year, Nnadi amassed 16 tackles, with none being for a loss. He managed just one quarterback hit and added 4 missed tackles, good for a career-high 12.1 missed tackle clip. Per his PFF page, he logged just 3 pressures, 131st out of 134 qualifiers at his position.
This development likely has more to do with Nnadi starting off horribly than him turning into a viable contributor. He shouldn’t wear it as a badge of honor entering free agency this offseason.
Nick Bolton Providing Glimmer of Hope for 2026-27 Season?
Nnadi wasn’t the only Chiefs defender to make the list. Linebacker Nick Bolton also snuck in thanks to better play — at least metrically — in the second half of the year.
Per Valentine’s collection, Bolton was graded 76th out of 90 linebackers in the first half of 2025-26. He changed course in a major way over the next several weeks.
“Bolton was a menace in the second half of the year, though,” Valentine wrote. “He received a 90.2 PFF grade, the highest in the league, while adding 12 pressures and 31 stops — the fifth-most at the position. His improvements in coverage were major too, yielding just 144 yards on 21 receptions and compiling a league-best 90.1 PFF coverage grade.”
This one seems more reflective than the Nnadi inclusion. On the year, Bolton started all 17 regular-season outings and racked up 154 tackles (10 for loss). Not only that, but he tied his previous personal bests with 7 quarterback hits and 6 passes broken up. On the flip side, he did allow a 78.8 completion percentage in coverage with a career-high 592 yards attributed to him.
Per NFL Pro, Bolton’s 26 pressures were a new record for him, as were his 86 stops. Additionally, his -7.6 catch rate over expected allowed was a massive improvement over 2024’s +5.4% figure. In the first year of his contract extension, the Missouri product did showcase some plus traits, albeit while still remaining an imperfect player.
The Chiefs can’t hang their hats on any of this, but heading into a downright critical offseason, they may think it’s nice that that their team didn’t quit on a tough stretch.
Jordan Foote is a seasoned sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com with an emphasis on the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. He has years of experience publishing NFL and MLB content for Sports Illustrated’s On SI vertical, in addition to a background in NBA coverage for multiple outlets. Foote is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media. He’s based in Kansas City. More about Jordan Foote
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