The Kansas City Chiefs signed Chris Jones to a record-setting contract prior to free agency getting underway, but, the 29-year-old All-Pro isn’t going to play forever.
Even after Jones posted 10.5 sacks and 30 total tackles as a pivotal cog in the Chiefs’ run to a Super Bowl championship last season, Kansas City Might need to eventually look ahead to what life might be like without the three-time Super Bowl champion and five-time All-Pro anchoring the interior of the defensive line.
Through his first eight seasons, Jones has logged 273 total tackles while proving to be a consistently dominant and disruptive interior pass-rush presence with 75.5 sacks, and two interceptions, with one returned for a touchdown.
Next year’s draft could be the perfect time for the Chiefs to begin some succession planning.
Kansas City Chiefs Take DT in Way-Too-Early Mock Draft
ESPN’s Jordan Reid took an early attempt at a 2025 NFL Mock Draft projection, and predicts the Chiefs will emerge with a potential replacement for Jones in Round 1.
Reid predicts the Chiefs will select Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant with the No. 31 overall pick.
“Kansas City is really good at developing draft picks on defense,” Reid points out. “And Grant can make an impact up the middle with spurts of disruption. He can not only clog interior gaps but also quickly penetrate to make plays with his combination of power and quickness out of his stance. Grant had eight run stops and 6.5 tackles for loss last season.”
Last season, Grant appeared in 15 games for the Wolverines, producing 29 total tackles, 3.5 sacks and five tackles for loss along one of the most dominant defensive lines in the nation.
The Chiefs are acutely aware of how vitally important winning along the line of scrimmage is to sustained success. Adding Grant would create a formidable interior defensive tackle duo in 2025 and potentially a long-term plan for one of the most dominant players in franchise history.
More must-reads: