### **Malik Herring**
Another example of a former undrafted free agent earning himself a role on the squad, Herring – who tore his ACL at the Senior Bowl in 2021 – has appeared in 26 games for Kansas City over the last three seasons following his return to the field. He appeared in 12 games last season, recording eight pressures on 96 pass-rush snaps.
His impressive story of resilience is a testament to both his work ethic and the foresight of the Chiefs' front office, who saw Herring's talent despite his injury during the pre-draft process. Herring will have a chance to write another chapter in that story with a strong camp this summer.
### **Charles Omenihu**
Omenihu, who re-signed with the Chiefs in March, enters his third season in Kansas City after recording 12 pressures, one sack and one forced fumble in six games last year. He also added three tackles-for-loss and a sack in three postseason games.
Omenihu recorded 29 pressures and seven sacks the season prior (in just 11 games) before suffering a torn ACL in the AFC Championship Game that delayed his season-debut in 2024 until Week 13.
Now healthy and more than a year removed from his ACL injury, the 27-year-old Omenihu returns to Kansas City as one of the league's better pass-rushers.
### **Janarius Robinson**
The Chiefs signed Robinson, a former fourth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2021, as a free agent this offseason. He appeared in 10 games (with one start) for the Las Vegas Raiders last season, logging five pressures, two quarterback hits and a half-sack.
Injuries limited Robinson's ability to get on the field early in his career, but he managed to record his first regular-season experience in 2023, tallying two quarterback hits and a sack in six games (with two starts) for the Raiders.
Prior to getting drafted, the 6-foot-5, 263-pound Robinson was a three-year starter at Florida State. He racked up 20.5 tackles-for-loss, eight sacks, three passes defensed and two forced fumbles during his time with the Seminoles, leading the team in sacks as a senior.
A long player with 35-inch arms, the 25-year-old Robinson will now have an opportunity to utilize his physical gifts as a member of the Chiefs.
**The Bottom Line**
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The Chiefs retained nine defensive linemen heading into Week 1 last season, but they've kept as many as 10 in recent years.
It's worth mentioning that the majority of last year's group is back for this season, too. Among the 11 players to record a snap along Kansas City's defensive line in 2024, eight are back for the upcoming campaign.
Two of the players who departed are significant, however, in defensive tackles Tershawn Wharton and Derrick Nnadi. Wharton recorded 33 pressures across 667 defensive snaps last year, which ranked third among Chiefs defensive linemen. Nnadi, meanwhile, manned an unheralded role in terms of stats over the years, but he appeared in 115 games (with 87 starts) during his seven years in Kansas City. Both roles will need to be replaced.
In terms of how many (and which) players will make the squad out of camp, one decision the Chiefs' front office and coaching staff will need to make is how they want this group to be subdivided. Traditionally, the Chiefs have retained between five and six defensive ends and four defensive tackles. Last year, specifically, Kansas City kept five defensive ends and four tackles as part of its nine-man defensive front.
Karlaftis, Danna, Omenihu, Anudike-Uzomah and Gillotte are all expected to be significant contributors in 2025 at defensive end, leaving potentially one spot for Malik Herring and Janarius Robinson. That battle will be one to watch in camp.
At defensive tackle, it's reasonable to pencil in Chris Jones, Mike Pennel, Jerry Tillery and Omarr Norman-Lott as the Chiefs' four primary contributors, but we'll see what Marlon Tuipulotu, Fabien Lovett and Coziah Izzard can do in camp. Injuries are common in the trenches, and even if those three don't make the initial 53-man roster, a spot on the practice squad could prove valuable in the long run, too.