Ranking the Chiefs' 10 Best Draft Picks of the Last Decade

2. DT Chris Jones — 2016 Round 2, Pick 37

When it came to ranking Hill and Chris Jones, I kept switching them back and forth. Ultimately, I decided to give second-place honors to the latter due to his still being with the franchise.

Nevertheless, it's hard to remember when Jones wasn't leading Kansas City's defensive line. While his first two campaigns with the Chiefs weren't that special, the former Mississippi State defender cemented himself as one of the NFL's most dangerous players over the last six campaigns.

Since the start of the 2018 season, Jones has racked up 67.0 sacks, 149 solo tackles, eight forced fumbles, three fumble recovers, 26 defended passes, and an interception returned for a touchdown. Not only does he have five All-Pro and Pro Bowl appearances apiece during that run, but he even finished third in the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Following the Super Bowl LVIII victory, Chiefs fans were worried that it might've been Jones' final run with the franchise. Kansas City didn't have much cap space heading into the offseason, leaving many to wonder if the world-class tackle was going to place elsewhere this fall.

Much to the delight of Chiefs Kingdom, GM Veach opened up space by trading Sneed and waiving Marquez Valdes-Scantling, creating enough room to re-sign Jones to a five-year, $158.75 million contract. It's a lot of money, sure, but well worth it for the game-changing presence that Jones provides every week.

Jones, 29, has proved that age won't stop him from being one of the best DTs in the league. Hopefully, it's a trend that continues for the duration of his new contract.