The Chiefs defense is not regressing anytime soon
Tyler Brown
In the NFL it is tough to be a dominant defense year in and year out. Think about some of the great defenses like the Buccanneers and Ravens of the early 2000s and then the Ravens again in the early 2010s, along with some of those Patriots defenses surrounding their dynasty.
In most of those cases, they were known for their dominance for a period of time but there is always one season that was an outlier in terms of having a historically good defense. Without cornerback L’Jarius Sneed shutting down opposing number-one receivers, the Chiefs might take a small step back. However, they have some strong candidates waiting in the wings behind him.
When defenses take a step back, it is because they either get older, players leave in free agency or the scheme gets stale. The Chiefs may be able to combat these factors by being super young, having ready-made corners to replace Sneed and an ever-evolving genius in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnulo.
There are better metrics out there to measure defense than points and yards allowed per game but the Chiefs ranked in the top two in both of them. They did this all while the offense struggled, finishing ninth in yards and 15th in points per game. The defense carried the team all season long, only allowing more than 24 points one time. Then the Chiefs went on a Super Bowl run allowing an average of 15.75 points per game in the playoffs.
After bringing defensive end Mike Danna back into the fold, with a chunk of free agency and the NFL Draft left to go, the Chiefs' defensive dominance is not going anywhere anytime soon. Let’s go by position group breaking down just how young and talented they really are, along with how much longer each key player is under contract. This is also interesting to look at through the lens of upcoming needs in the NFL Draft and why it may be an offensive-heavy draft.
Defensive Line
Edge
- George Karlaftis, 23: Signed through 2026 (assuming the 5th-year option)
- Mike Danna, 27: Signed through 2026
- Charles Omenihu, 26: Signed through 2024
- Felix Anudike-Uzomah, 22: Signed through 2027 (assuming the 5th-year option)
- Malik Herring, 26: Signed through 2024
- B.J. Thompson, 25: Signed through 2026
The future of this group appears really bright with Danna back in the fold. Karlaftis just keeps getting better and better with three more seasons of club control left. Omenihu, while recovering from an ACL currently, was a huge part of the success of the defense last season, posting seven sacks in 11 games and is an extension candidate at some point.
All of the ceiling for this group belongs to Anudike-Uzomah and Thompson, both of whom possess rare speed and bend along the outside. They basically received a red-shirt season in 2023 so 2024 is a huge year for the two of them, especially when they get the opportunity while Omenihu recovers.
If those two hit, or even one of them does, and with the multi-year deal for Danna, all of a sudden you have an extremely deep and versatile room for the next three-plus seasons. Given that the Chiefs spent a first-rounder at the position the last two seasons, that should be the case but I expect big things from this group in 2024, especially after Omenihu is back. They were already a group that finished second in the NFL in sacks, but if the 2023 rookie pass rushers find their footing, it could be even better.
Interior
- Chris Jones, 29: Signed through 2028
- Tershawn Wharton, 25: Signed through 2024
- Derrick Nnadi, 27: Signed through 2024
- Mike Pennel, 32: Signed through 2024
- Neil Farrell, 25: Signed through 2025
This is the one position along the defense where the future does not look so bright, other than having the best interior defender in the league. That may sound contradicting, but the Chiefs are truly bare here after Jones. If I were a betting man, I would not be surprised if the Chiefs drafted both a nose tackle and a three-tech in the draft given that everyone currently rostered is in a contract season.
While Danna and Omenihu can both kick inside, Wharton is the only interior guy who can back up Chris Jones. It would be nice to have a prospect with some upside to give Jones a breather as he ages or play alongside of on passing downs. One more guy who can provide interior pressure could be a spark that this team lacks currently.
The one-tech (nose tackle) has been a position of need for years, so Chiefs and general manager Brett Veach simply may just not value it a ton. It would be nice to see Farrell claim a spot in the rotation after giving up a 2024 late-round pick swap for him before last season.
Nnadi is what he is and will likely be on the roster. Pennel is always useful in January, so I am not sweating this too much, but it would be nice to see a bigger, better run stuffer in the trenches. It should be noted that the Chiefs also have Isaiah Buggs signed, who showed some flashes with the Lions in 2022.
Linebacker
- Nick Bolton, 24: Signed through 2024
- Drue Tranquill, 28: Signed through 2026
- Leo Chenal, 23: Signed through 2025
For the first time in the Steve Spagnuolo era, the Chiefs had a talented and versatile linebacking core in 2023. The Chiefs did lose Willie Gay here but Tranquill does a lot of similar things well due to him being a safety in college at Notre Dame.
Tranquill also stepped in for Nick Bolton last year as the team’s signal caller without a hiccup. Locking up Tranquill for three years provides leverage in the coming Bolton contract negotiations as he proved he is a more than adequate middle linebacker when he is not playing weak-side linebacker. He is the lone linebacker now that has coverage skills, though.
Chenal is exactly what every team is looking for in a two-down strong-side linebacker. He has a mean streak to him and while he struggles running laterally, he makes every tackle running downhill when he gets the opportunity. In a pinch, he can make big game-changing plays as he has done the last two Super Bowls as well. According to PFF, Chenal was the highest-graded defender in Super Bowl 58 and the second-highest in Super Bowl 57.
The Chiefs are not bare with depth behind the three starters either, as Jack Cochrane has been a part of this team for a few years filling in when needed, along with being a special teams ace. 2023 undrafted free agent Cam Jones also put together a very strong performance in week 18 against the Chargers, leading the team in tackles. I would not classify the linebacking room as a draft need unless they do not feel good about extending Bolton, which would be hard to believe.
Defensive backs
Cornerback
- Trent McDuffie, 23: Signed through 2026 (assuming the 5th-year option)
- Jaylen Watson, 25: Signed through 2025
- Joshua Williams, 24: Signed through 2025
- Nazhee Johnson, 25: Signed through 2025
There is no doubt, that this room took a hit losing Sneed, but it was the all-pro season Trent McDuffie had that made them feel comfortable moving on. The 2022 injury to McDuffie forced Watson and Williams into playing time as rookies that they would not have had otherwise.
All three corners ranked in the top 50 graded corners, according to PFF. We all know how good McDuffie is, but Williams had a terrific 2023 season as well. In 236 coverage snaps, he allowed just a 78.5 passer rating when targeted. Like Sneed, he is a press-man coverage type but actually is more athletic.
Williams has a higher ceiling than Watson, but Watson is a physical player as well. Everyone remembers Watson for the pick-six in the 2022 home-opener but he is more than qualified to be a third corner on this team. The two of them are also physical in the run game. Spagnuolo will be able to scheme around these three just fine.
There is also fellow 2022 draftee Nazhee Johnson who is coming back from injury. There was a lot of buzz last training camp around him supplanting Watson and Williams, so it will be interesting to see how far he can inch his way up the depth chart. Aside from him, there are 2023 rookies Ekow Boye-Doe and Nic Jones and with Veach’s ability to draft and Dave Merritt’s ability to develop cornerbacks, one of them could surprise people as well.
Safety
- Justin Reid, 27: Signed through 2024
- Bryan Cook, 24: Signed through 2025
- Chamarri Conner, 23: Signed through 2026
- Deon Bush, 30: Signed through 2024
With Justin Reid still only 27, he is an extension candidate, but with him being an impending free agent, this could be a sneaky position group with a future need heading into the draft. Both in 2019 and 2022 Veach spent a second-round pick at safety, drafting Juan Thornhill and Bryan Cook, so it is clear he values the position. The team also lost ball-hawking safety Mike Edwards to the Bills.
While he can get picked on in coverage from time to time, Reid knows how to make tackles and is the clear leader in this room. If he gets an extension at some point, there is no need in this room with Cook coming back. Cook was a big loss when his season ended against the Packers after a severe high ankle sprain. He was really coming into his own as both a leader and a free safety.
Coming out of the draft Cook was known as a thumper, but his closing speed has helped him provide much more than that on the backside of the defense. With his injury, Conner was forced to step up and wound up playing 163 snaps in the four playoff games. When you take out the snap count minimum, he was actually the 11th-highest-graded safety across the NFL, according to PFF.
Bush has turned into a special teams ace for this team. In the AFC Championship game, Reid was forced out for three plays and while it was only three plays, Bush filled in admirably coming away with an interception of Lamar Jackson to really ice the game. His veteran presence and special teams ability are not without value on the depth chart.
The Chiefs have put themselves in a position to help out their offense through the draft. They can draft defense when the value truly falls to them and to make them even better, but as the sixth youngest team in the league last year, they are pretty well set on defense. It will be fun to watch Veach fill out the rest of this roster that is largely complete.
