New Season Predictions for the Best Defensive Tackle in the NFL
The Kansas City Chiefs dynasty is often viewed strictly as an offensive juggernaut, a powerhouse of passing led by the arm of Patrick Mahomes and the brilliant mind of Andy Reid. While it is almost certainly true that this era of Chiefs dominance simply wouldn’t exist without the dynamic, high-flying offense it is famous for, Kansas City’s defense has been the underappreciated backbone of their success in the last few seasons. KC’s defense ranked as a top-four defensive unit in both 2023 and 2024, providing elite play that was essential to the Chiefs’ consecutive Super Bowl appearances. Even after a down year from their franchise QB, the Chiefs defense still ensured that Kansas City would be the toughest opponent any of the 31 other franchises could face last year.
Anchoring this elite squad is the greatest interior defensive lineman in the sport today, Chris Jones. Jones has been an absolute world-beater since being drafted by Kansas City back in 2016. Across his nine-year career, he’s been selected for both Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors six times, including being selected as a First-Team All-Pro defensive lineman for the past three seasons straight. In a league where the most feared defenders are often edge rushers, Chris Jones has terrorized many quarterbacks by plowing straight through the center of their offensive lines.
The Chiefs organization recognized the awesome power they wielded at the defensive tackle position and awarded Jones with a monster contract in March of last year, making him the highest-paid DT in the entire league and retaining his terrifying abilities through the 2028 season. While Jones lived up to his end of the bargain, earning his third straight First Team All-Pro selection and taking the brunt of double teams from every O-line the Chiefs faced, 2024 was still a down year for him in one key statistic. Jones posted just five sacks during the regular season, his lowest amount since his rookie season. Is this a sign of decline or just the logical result of being the focal point of every opposing team’s blocking scheme on every play for an entire year?
I think that 2025 will see Jones bring home his fourth consecutive First Team All-Pro selection, not just through his own play, but through how he elevates the play of the defenders around him. The Chiefs went very heavy into beefing up their defense in the draft, spending a second and two third-round picks on defensive players. Jones will be the leader of a lot of new faces on the Chiefs’ defensive line, including two rookies at DT and DE, and the veteran presence of the newly acquired free agent Jerry Tillery. Fan favorite edge rusher George Karlaftis will also look to take a step forward as yet another thing for opposing offensive linemen to worry about. I predict that 2025 will see a great defense get even better thanks to these new additions to the defensive trenches.
It all comes down to the double-edged sword that having a player like Chris Jones presents to an opposing offense. If you send extra help to block Jones, that means less help against the other defenders around him. If Jones draws heat away from his teammates on the line, then the rookies, Karlaftis, and/or Tillery could potentially feast on getting into the opponents’ backfield that much easier. If that happens, the opponents would be forced to reallocate resources away from Jones to help elsewhere, which puts them in the difficult situation of giving a defensive monster like Chris Jones fewer obstacles to the quarterback. It is a swinging pendulum of choosing how your QB gets sacked. If the new faces on the Chiefs’ defensive line can step up and capitalize on the opportunity that Jones’s presence gives them, not only will KC maintain their elite defensive form, but Jones himself could have a career year and even make a run for his first-ever Defensive Player of the Year honors.
