A Rebuilt Interior Defensive Line Has Chiefs Fans Hopeful Yet Concerned for 2026
Peter Woods was selected 29th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft to be the understudy to 32-year-old All-Pro Chris Jones. The 2025 campaign ended in Jones’ first missed postseason since being drafted by Kansas City in 2016. A big reason for the 6-11 season was the lack of sacks; although they were 10th in quarterback pressures, the Chiefs placed 25th in the league last year with just 35. In particular, the Kansas City defense really whiffed on third-and-long downs, with just six percent of pressures getting to the quarterback, which was 29th in the league. Clearly, that stat figured heavily in the draft, with Kansas City’s first four picks all being defensive prospects. The top priority for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense must be to close out those pressures by getting to the quarterback. The AFC West is a gauntlet of quarterback talent, and with the Raiders’ addition of veteran Pro-Bowler Kirk Cousins, who is a mentor to first overall pick Fernando Mendoza, Spagnuolo must really dial it up just within his own division, to say nothing of the rest of the league.
Jones’ Understudy
What pops from Woods’ tape at Clemson is his explosion off the line and his nose for the ball carrier. The First-Team All-ACC selection is a brawler on the interior who battles through plays, impressively picking up momentum the longer the rep goes. He has shorter arms for an interior lineman at 31 inches long, but he has the strength and athleticism to push tackles off his frame and win. In plays when offenses attempted to get short-yardage first downs through the run, the Tigers' standout defensive tackle was effective in stopping them before the sticks, though he has been known to take chances in that area that didn’t pay off. With the veteran defensive lineman consistently getting double teams, gaps should open up for a defensive tackle as good as the former five-star recruit has shown he can be. Throughout college, Woods was used up and down the line, alternating between interior and edge, even playing snaps on offense as a short-yardage six-foot-three, 310-lb bowling ball. He has a versatility that will no doubt be utilized in Spagnuolo’s innovative and aggressive playbook.
A Critical Injury, Some Personnel Changes, and Jones is Still Jones
However, there are concerns Chiefs Kingdom has about the interior defensive line that Woods has joined. The Chiefs lost Derrick Nnadi and Jerry Tillery to the Colts in free agency, which essentially left just the defensive anchor, Mike Pennel, and Omarr Norman-Lott. Norman-Lott, a 2025 second-round pick, showed great promise in his rookie year, underscored by a spectacular sack of Jalen Hurts in Week Two. His season ended in Week Seven, however, when he tore his ACL against the Raiders. Even before that injury, Norman-Lott had missed game time due to wrist and shoulder issues. By all accounts, Norman-Lott is progressing well with rehab but has yet to participate in a Chiefs training camp. The former Mississippi State standout, who can be a game-wrecker at any time, has seen a fall in production over the last couple of years, particularly in stopping the run. The three-time Super Bowl Champion is still elite in pressure, ranking first in pass rush win rate and third-most pressures in the league, with 63 in 2025. So, what’s true of the Chiefs' defensive line is what’s been true since the Kansas City superstar has been at Arrowhead: the better he does, the better everyone else does. The perennial Pro-Bowler is a true force multiplier. Add to the mix the signing of Khyiris Tonga, a defensive tackle from the Patriots, who, at six-foot-two-inches tall, 335 lbs., is a good run stopper. With a 67.9 overall PFF grade, he was ranked 36th out of 134 qualified defensive linemen in 2025. The ex-Patriot was ranked 15th in pass rush among 134 qualified defensive linemen with a 75.6 PFF grade and 66th in run defense with a 54.6 PFF grade. Tonga is a much-needed addition and an upgrade from both Nnadi, Tillery, and Pennel, who are still on the roster.
A New Year and a Chance at Redemption
If the 2025 Chiefs season is good for anything, it’s motivation. It’s for refueling that championship drive. After a defensive campaign that was 10th in the league in pressures but 25th in sacks, the Chiefs know they have what it takes to get to the quarterback most of the way; they just need to harness that little bit extra to get there more consistently. With a first-round draft pick in Woods working the line with Jones, along with Tonga and a healthy Norman-Lott, that little bit extra is well within reach.
