{"id":729242,"date":"2026-02-04T17:17:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T17:17:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/729242\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T17:17:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T17:17:21","slug":"exploring-the-chiefs-options-for-the-defensive-line-this-offseason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/729242\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the Chiefs\u2019 options for the defensive line this offseason"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the top of the Kansas City Chiefs<\/a>\u2019 agenda this offseason should be rehauling the defensive line. The Chiefs have had one of the worst four-man pass rushes over the past two seasons. Additionally, the team must make decisions on pending free agents who play up front on defense.<\/p>\n

With defensive tackle Chris Jones turning 32 in 2026 and the Chiefs having a top-10 pick, this feels like the natural time to steer a certain direction with the defensive line.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s go through the current roster decisions on the defensive line, free agents to watch, and some draft prospects to consider.<\/p>\n

Before looking into players the Chiefs could add, it\u2019s important to know who\u2019s currently on the roster and who is set to hit the open market.<\/p>\n

Jones and defensive end George Karlaftis are set to lead the group in 2026; Karlaftis signed an extension with the Chiefs leading into the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

However, could the Chiefs consider trading Jones? Without vouching for it, here\u2019s the case: Kansas City would save $15.6 million trading Jones<\/a> in 2026 while carrying a $29.3 million cap hit. The difficult part is finding proper value: teams would get Jones at a bargain cap hit, but he\u2019s going to be 32 years old in 2026.<\/p>\n

There isn\u2019t much precedent for a defensive tackle of Jones\u2019s age being traded; an estimate of the cost would be a second-round pick on top of another asset.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t feel valuable enough compared to what Jones brings to the Chiefs\u2019 defense. He had a slow start to the season, but after the bye week, he was playing like a top-5 defensive tackle again. Until Jones starts showing a significant decline, he\u2019s too important to trade.<\/p>\n

However, defensive end Mike Danna is expendable; his release would save the team $8.9 million against the cap<\/a>. Danna has not been effective in getting pressure for two seasons. The front office can find a less-expensive player with a comparable skillset.<\/p>\n

\"EAST<\/a><\/p>\n

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 21: Russell Wilson #3 of the New York Giants avoids Omarr Norman-Lott #55 of the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium on September 21, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n

The Chiefs drafted two defensive linemen on Day 2: defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott \u2014 who tore his ACL in Week 7 \u2014 and defensive end Ashton Gillotte. Both should return as depth pieces, with the hope that one could emerge, but they should be considered reserves on the defensive line right now. Neither has shown enough flashes to be strongly considered a starter.<\/p>\n

At defensive end, former first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah is going to have to earn his roster spot. He rarely flashed in limited snaps over his first two years and was hurt all of his third season. He will have to shine this offseason to stick around.<\/p>\n

Among pending free agents, defensive end Charles Omenihu is the most significant \u2014 but the Chiefs should not stress over re-signing him. Omenihu hasn\u2019t produced as much pressure since tearing his ACL in the 2023 playoffs. The Chiefs miss his impact, but those plays will need to be made by someone else moving forward.<\/p>\n

Defensive tackles Mike Pennel, Derrick Nnadi and Jerry Tillery are other pending free agents. All three could return as reliable depth, but the Chiefs need more talent in the defensive tackle room, so general manager Brett Veach should identify new players to fill at least one or two of these spots.<\/p>\n

The free agency class of defensive line is not one to splurge on, with a lot of players past their prime. Veach prefers signing free agents ranging from ages 25-27; those options are limited.<\/p>\n

If the Chiefs do decide to make a splash, one personal preference would be Denver Broncos<\/a>\u2019 defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers. He has been a glue player across multiple elite units and defensive fronts with the New York Jets<\/a> and Broncos. Franklin-Myers isn\u2019t flashy, but he can truly play both on the edge and as a defensive tackle. He can play stout against the run and crush the pocket as a rusher from the end. He\u2019s better inside, where he has the strength and size to deal with double teams and is great at crushing a pocket. He\u2019s essentially a supercharged version of Omenihu, and he should age well due to his versatility.<\/p>\n

\"CHARLOTTE,<\/a><\/p>\n

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 28: Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers throws a pass in front of Boye Mafe #53 of the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n

The other free agent on the personal wish list is Seattle Seahawks<\/a> defensive end Boye Mafe. Reportedly, the Chiefs had interest in trading for Mafe at the deadline, so that interest could remain. Mafe is more of a rotational pass rusher, but his speed and juice are desperately needed in Kansas City.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Chargers<\/a> defensive end Odafe Oweh perfectly fits the Veach timeline for free agents, but the Chargers should re-sign him. He would be an intriguing option if he is available.<\/p>\n

There is plenty of time to dive into these players individually, but the Chiefs should be looking at defensive linemen at all points in the 2026 NFL Draft. The team needs talent and depth at the same time, so using two or three picks on defensive linemen makes sense.<\/p>\n

As of today, the smartest use of the ninth-overall pick is addressing the defensive line, in my opinion. It\u2019s a huge need for Kansas City, and it\u2019s a rare opportunity to establish a long-term pillar of the defense trenches next to the aging Jones.<\/p>\n

Here is who I would consider at nine:<\/p>\n

DE Reuben Bain Jr., MiamiDE David Bailey, Texas TechOLB Arvell Reese, Ohio StateDT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State<\/p>\n

At 40, my favorite options are:<\/p>\n

DT Lee Hunter, Texas TechDE Akheem Mesidor, MiamiDT Caleb Banks, FloridaDE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M<\/p>\n

At 73, my favorite options are:<\/p>\n

DE R Mason Thomas, OklahomaDT Dontay Corleone, CincinnatiDT Dominique Orange, Iowa StateDE Romello Height, Texas Tech<\/p>\n

The Chiefs\u2019 general draft strategy should be using multiple picks along the defensive line to add depth and talent to the room. It is desperately needed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At the top of the Kansas City Chiefs\u2019 agenda this offseason should be rehauling the defensive line. The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":729243,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2063],"tags":[346,7,118,110,80177,1193,2438,2437,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-729242","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-kansas-city-chiefs","8":"tag-chiefs","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-kansas-city","11":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs","12":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs-analysis","13":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs-roster","14":"tag-kansascity","15":"tag-kansascitychiefs","16":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116013501537462689","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/729242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=729242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/729242\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/729243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=729242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=729242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=729242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}