5 Free Agents the Chiefs Should Let Walk

2. Derrick Nnadi, DT

The Chiefs did a tremendous job against Saquon Barkley and the Eagles rushing attack during the Super Bowl, holding the superstar running back to 57 yards on 25 attempts. But a player Kansas City has counted on as a run defender didn’t have a major role in that, which could leave him to find a new team this spring.

The Chiefs traded up to select Derrick Nnadi in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft and he was a key contributor to Kansas City’s run defense. At 6-foot-1 and 317 pounds, Nnadi posted run defense grades of 80.0, 63.9, and 81.3 in his first three seasons according to Pro Football Focus, but things fell apart over the past four seasons.

Nnadi’s performance began to tail off with a 50.8 run defense grade in 2021, but the Chiefs brought him back with the first of a series of three one-year deals. While Nnadi hasn’t cost much to bring back, Kansas City hasn’t gotten much on their investment as Nnadi posted a career-low 37.0 run defense grade in 2022 and a 42.0 run defense grade in 2023.

With single-digit quarterback pressures in both seasons, Nnadi wasn’t making much of an impact and battled injuries while posting the lowest overall PFF grade on the team at 40.8 this year. 

The 28-year-old had a better performance in the Super Bowl, posting a run defense grade of 69.6 but it was his highest grade since Week 8 and one of four games with a PFF grade over 65 this season. Another player that could be had for cheap; the Chiefs could bring him back for one more year. But after four years of below-average play, they’d be better off looking for his replacement.