The Kansas City Chiefs need to retool if they plan on jumping back into contention in 2026. One of the first things general manager Brett Veach did when the free agent period opened was address the middle of the defensive line, which had struggled to generate pressure last season.
While Kansas City has already added Khyris Tonga and still has Chris Jones, they would benefit from adding some depth, which could put former Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins on their radar as the second wave of free agency continues.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Wilkins, who was released by the Raiders before the start of last season, “fully intends to play this season, but still is rehabbing his foot injury” that led to his release. Schefter added that “26 teams have reached out and are waiting for Wilkins to be ready, and Wilkins is expected to have a new home as soon as he wants.”
While Wilkins’s health is a concern, he’s a player the Chiefs should be interested in and could give them a leg up as they look to return to contention last year.
Chiefs Can Fix Defensive Line Issues By Adding Christian Wilkins
The Chiefs had plenty of problems, but their lack of depth on the defensive line was a big one.
Jones didn’t play to his dominant standards, posting a career-low 70.5 overall rating and generating his lowest number of quarterback pressures (63) since 2017, according to Pro Football Focus. Omarr Norman-Lott also tore his ACL last October, and the rest of the group didn’t make a legitimate impact, with Jerry Tillery and trade acquisitions Mike Pennel and Derrick Nnadi all posting an overall grade under 60.0.
Although Wilkins wouldn’t be a sure-fire solution due to his foot injury that played a role in his release from Las Vegas, he could be a massive addition if he’s on his game. Wilkins enjoyed a career year with the Miami Dolphins in 2023, posting a 71.8 overall grade with career highs in pressures and sacks (9.0), and the performance helped him earn a four-year, $110 million contract in the spring of 2024.
Wilkins didn’t live up to that salary, however, logging just nine pressures and two sacks with a 74.7 overall grade in 246 snaps with the Raiders in 2024. His reported locker room controversies also clouded his departure from Vegas, but it appears most of the league is willing to overlook the negatives for the potential positives he could bring to the table.
The Chiefs should be one of the interested teams. They could use Tonga, Wilkins, and Jones as part of an interior rotation that would be significantly better than what they trotted out a year ago. In what has been an offseason of change, adding Wilkins would be an intriguing addition and give defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit some teeth going into next season.