Throughout the Chiefs' dynastic run, Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and Travis Kelce have been at the forefront of media attention. And rightfully so, those three have been absolutely legendary and will likely go down as future first ballot Hall of Famers.
However, for whatever reason, Chris Jones has been conveniently left off of this list of KC’s most important pieces of the past decade. While it’s understood that the offensive players would garner more attention, Jones has been incredibly impactful and a HoF-level player himself for a long time.
Despite him coming into his age-32 season, Jones proved once again in 2025 that he is still the best defensive tackle in the league. He ranked third in the NFL in quarterback pressures (63) and hits (19), and garnered a 70.5 overall grade per PFF. This was without the Chiefs providing him with much of any help along the d-line, forcing Jones to face some of the highest numbers of double teams in his career.
Moreover, according to Stick to the Model’s charting, Jones, along with Tennessee Titans DT Jeffrey Simmons, were far and away in a class of their own when it came to forcing pressures when paired with TFL (tackles for loss). The Chiefs finally realized that Jones not only needs some alleviation from an improved edge-rush but also needs better DTs alongside him to lessen the burden of both a high snap count and double-team rate.
Chiefs did great job of making Chris Jones’ life easier this offseason
Adding real young talent to the defensive tackle room began in the 2025 draft when general manager Brett Veach drafted Omarr Norman-Lott in the second round. Norman-Lott, through just five games on very limited snaps, accounted for five tackles, one TFL, and one sack. That may not seem like much, but just his mere presence along the d-line helped take some of the heat off Jones. That didn’t last long, however, as Norman-Lott tore his ACL in Week 7, ending his rookie campaign.
While ONL should return healthy and ready to go, he’ll be doing so next to even more help along the d-tackle room. One of the Chiefs' biggest additions this free agency was adding 335 lb Khyiris Tonga as a proven high-level run stuffer. Tonga has been a bit of an NFL journeyman, playing for four teams across five seasons, but his most recent time was spent helping the New England Patriots make the Super Bowl. Tonga had 24 total tackles, 2 QB hits, 2 passes defensed, on just 40 percent of the snaps. He should be a welcome addition on early downs as well as a big guy who can provide a little bit of push in the pocket on pass plays if needed.
And finally, the Chiefs capped off their additions at the position by selecting Clemson d-tackle Peter Woods 29th overall in the NFL draft. Woods was a value pick, as he has the most upside of potentially any player in the entire draft, being that he was arguably a top-five prospect if he had entered the draft the year prior. Like Jones, Woods is a true three-tech d-tackle, with serious quickness and explosion off the line, but is still agile and strong to handle the big guys on the other side.
These three additions, along with hopefully an improved edge-rush, should no doubt make Chris Jones’ life easier as he enters into the final years of his prime. While the Chiefs probably won’t have a team total of 50-plus sacks as they did back in 2022, that year was when Jones had the most talent alongside him in his prime. He had 15.5 sacks, made first-team All-Pro, and came third in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year. 2026 has the potential to mirror that success if all the right pieces fit.
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