Khyiris Tonga
Getty
The New England Patriots got an injury update about the hidden gem on their historic defense.
The majority of talking heads and keyboard jockeys have lauded the Kansas City Chiefs for their offseason work to this point, but the praise isn’t universal.
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report on Monday, March 23 criticized Kansas City for signing defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga to a three-year contract worth $21 million in the latest round of free agency rather than focusing on a high-end pass-rusher.
Last season, [the Chiefs] tied for 26th in sacks and were in the middle of the pack with a 23.6 percent pressure rate. This offseason, the Chiefs cut Michael Danna and allowed Charles Omenihu to walk in free agency, two rotational defensive linemen who played 957 snaps combined in the previous campaign.
Tonga … is a run-stopper who’s played fewer than 41 percent of the defensive snaps in all five of his seasons. The Chiefs massively overpaid for a run-stuffer when they needed a pass-rusher.
Chiefs Badly Needed to Improve Run Defense Across D-Line
Chris Jones speaks out after Chiefs' Mike Danna cut news
GettyKansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones.
In fairness to Kansas City’s front office, the defense needed to improve the line substantially against both the pass and the run.
The Chiefs were average or subpar with regards to the pass-rush in several metrics in 2025, but they posted a pass-rush win rate of 40 percent as a team, which ranked 10th in the NFL. The defense’s run-stop win rate, however, was just 28 percent and ranked 30th out of 32 teams, per ESPN statistics.
Tonga is not a pass-rusher by any means, but Chris Jones has recently been among the best defensive tackles in the league when it comes to pressuring opposing quarterbacks. His pass-rush grade ranked second out of 134 qualifying players in 2025, per Pro Football Focus, while his run-defense grade left more than a little to be desired, slotting in at 108th overall.
As such, one can make a strong argument that Tonga and Jones suit each other nicely on the interior of the Chiefs’ defensive front.
Chiefs Can Still Address Pass-Rush Needs in NFL Draft, With Short-Term Veteran Signing in Free Agency
Miami DL Rueben Bain Jr.
GettyMiami Hurricanes edge-rusher Rueben Bain Jr.
Kansas City also owns two first-round picks, Nos. 9 and 29 overall, along with the No. 40 selection in Round 2 of next month’s draft.
There is a chance that one of the best three edge-rushers in the 2026 class, most likely Rueben Bain Jr. of Miami, will fall to the Chiefs at No. 9. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN predicted as much in his most recent mock draft last week and projected Kansas City will select Bain with that pick despite a strong need at cornerback.
“Bain would be very tough to pass up at this spot,” Kiper wrote. “Despite 30 and 7/8-inch arms that caused quite the stir at the combine, Bain is dominant off the edge. He simply finds ways to get to the QB, whether it’s with his speed, power or savviness. He had 71 pressures last season en route to 9.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss.”
Bain would address Kansas City’s edge-rush need in a significant way. And if the Chiefs can’t land a top pass-rusher with the 9th pick, they have the capital necessary to trade up.
Another path could be to take a cornerback and look for a second-tier pass-rusher lower in the draft while focusing on a veteran stopgap at the position in 2026.
One such option is Cameron Jordan, most recently of the New Orleans Saints, for whom Jones has advocated publicly. Spotrac projects Jordan’s market value at just $6.8 million on a new one-year deal.