The Kansas City Chiefs signed Chris Jones to a record-breaking contract before free agency began, but the 29-year-old All-Pro will not be able to play indefinitely.
Even after Jones recorded 10.5 sacks and 30 total tackles as a key component in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory last season, Kansas City may have to consider what life would be like without the three-time Super Bowl champion and five-time All-Pro anchoring the defensive line’s interior.
Jones has made 273 total tackles in his first eight seasons, proving to be a consistently dominating and disruptive interior pass-rush presence with 75.5 sacks and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a score.
Next year’s draft might be the ideal time for
Chiefs will begin some succession planning. Kansas City Chiefs Select DT in Way-Too-Early Mock Draft
ESPN’s Jordan Reid made an early 2025 NFL Mock Draft projection, predicting the Chiefs will select a replacement for Jones in Round 1. Reid thinks that the Chiefs will draft Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant with the 31st overall pick.
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“Kansas City is really good at developing draft picks on defense,” he says. “And Grant can have an influence in the middle with bursts of disruption. He can not only clog interior spaces, but also rapidly penetrate to make plays because to his combination of power and agility out of his stance. Last season, Grant recorded eight run stops and 6.5 tackles for loss.
Last season, Grant played in 15 games for the Wolverines, recording 29 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, and five tackles for loss on one of the nation’s most formidable defensive lines.
The Chiefs understand how important winning along the line of scrimmage is to long-term success. Adding Grant would result in a formidable interior defensive tackle combo in 2025, as well as a potential long-term strategy for one of the franchise’s most dominant players.
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