Arrowhead Pride
Let’s look at some interior defenders Kansas City could take in the draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs had some good players along the defensive interior in 2024. But with Tershawn Wharton, Derrick Nnadi and Mike Pennel all set to become free agents, it could be hard for Kansas City to retain all three.
The Chiefs would probably like to add some juice to the pass rush from the defensive interior, which would help remove some of the attention offenses usually devote to defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Kansas City currently has picks in the first, second, third, fourth and seventh rounds of April’s NFL Draft. Let's consider some defensive tackles who would be a good fit for the Chiefs in each of these rounds.
NOTE: Rankings shown here come from 2025’s Consensus Big Board at NFLMockDraftDatabase.com.
Height: 6 foot 3
Weight: 305 pounds
Consensus ranking: 22
Nolen is one of the few defensive tackles in this draft class who might be worth a modest first-round trade-up. He has a quick first step off the snap and is a relentless pass rusher. He possesses elite lateral quickness and agility, along with violent hands he can use in a rip technique to disengage himself from blockers. He also has a nice inside spin move.
Ole Miss boasted one of the best defensive lines in 2024. Four of their guys are likely to be selected in April — and three of those guys (Nolen, Princely Umanmielen and Jared Ivey) will probably go in the top 100. Nolen might be the best of the bunch.
It’s rare to see a guy of his size move as fast and violently as he does. If the Chiefs select Nolen at 31 — or get him without selling the farm — he’ll be a steal.
Notable mentions: Kenneth Grant, Derrick Harmon
Height: 6 feet 4
Weight: 290 pounds
Consensus ranking: 57
Like Nolen, Sanders plays with a high motor, utilizing his hands to detach himself and fight through the offensive line. He has a good feel for spacing — and is a stout defender who is quick enough off the snap to create havoc in the backfield. Sanders is the kind of guy you’ll see around the ball over 10 straight snaps.
He is strong enough to hold up at the point of attack, utilizing his bull rush to good effect. The Chiefs may need to jump up a couple of spots in the second round to land Sanders, but it shouldn’t break the bank — and I think he is a unique enough talent to justify trading up into the 50s to get him.
Notable mentions: Alfred Collins, Darius Alexander
Height: 6 foot 6
Weight: 295 pounds
Consensus ranking: 81
While Burch is listed as an edge rusher, the Ducks utilized him much like the Chiefs use Chris Jones and George Karlaftis, deploying him...
