This offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs defense underwent some big changes. To begin, the Chiefs signed veteran cornerback Kristian Fulton and drafted rookie Nohl Williams to reinforce their cornerback room. While these were some much-needed upgrades, Kansas City's defense also took a huge blow.
Defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, who had a breakout 2024, departed in free agency, much to the disappointment of fans and people within the organization. Wharton signed a three-year deal worth $45 million with the Carolina Panthers to help rebuild their defense. That said, the 27-year-old has seemingly already made a huge impact for Carolina, and training camp hasn't even started yet.
Tershawn Wharton Already Impressing Panthers Coaches
Wharton's work ethic quickly caught the attention of Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero during OTAs and mandatory minicamp in the spring. An ESPN article cites Evero saying, "He's got an aura about him {Wharton}. You watch him in the classroom, he's a notetaker. He's into it all the time in the weight room, on the field."
Furthermore, the article also touches on the fact that Wharton is teaching young guys how to transition into the NFL. Wharton reflected on this, saying, "Just showing these young guys how to transition. Being able to show them the way, on and off the field, on how to do things and establish that culture of winning."
These comments should come as no surprise to Chiefs fans. Chiefs Kingdom witnessed the former Missouri S&T defensive tackle go from undrafted free agent to impact player on the defensive line. That doesn't happen without hard work.
In 2024, Wharton recorded 29 tackles, 6.5 sacks, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, four quarterback hits, 22 QB hurries, and 33 QB pressures, according to PFF. Having a season like that next to Chris Jones helped the interior of the Chiefs' defensive line pick up some of the slack from the edge rush's struggles.
In light of that, replacing Wharton in 2025 won't be an easy task. Though Kansas City drafted University of Tennessee defensive tackle Nomar Orman-Lott, he has a long road to take over for Wharton. At Tennessee, Norman-Lott was a rotational pass rusher logging north of 300 snaps.
Last year, Wharton played 667 snaps, which is around double what Norman-Lott played. Despite the Chiefs working Norman-Lott hard during OTAs and minicamp, it's unlikely he earns the majority of the snaps to begin the season.
Still, the 23-year-old has potential that the Chiefs want to tap into. Nevertheless, Wharton's absence in Kansas City will be felt, while he likely continues to succeed with the Panthers.