AFC Executive Criticizes KC Chiefs DT Chris Jones for Production in 2022

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones's huge 2022 campaign received some mixed reviews in a recent ranking on ESPN.

Oct 10, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) reacts to a play in the second half against the the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff -USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones had arguably his best season in 2022, matching a career-high with 15.5 sacks and also recording a career-high 44 tackles (with 17 of them being for a loss). The former second-round pick was a force to be reckoned with all season long, earning All-Pro honors and being named a finalist for the league Defensive Player of the Year award. By nearly all accounts, it was a terrific effort.

In a recent ESPN article ranking the top interior defensive linemen in the NFL, Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald took home the top spot once again. In a list combining the votes of players, coaches, scouts and league executives, as well as internal data from analyst Matt Bowen, Jones was ranked right behind Donald. Here's what one conference executive had to say about Jones: 

Jones entered a new stratosphere after a monster 15.5-sack season.

He's firmly in Tier 1 now, receiving several No. 1 votes.

"One-on-one matchups, he has a natural answer for everything," said an AFC exec who voted Jones No. 1. "Wrecked our games."

The feedback wasn't all positive, though, which was surprising considering the excellent year Jones had in 2022. Another AFC executive, per the article, claimed that Jones's recent production was inflated and not what it appeared to be on the surface. Here's their quote:

Another AFC exec saw things differently, saying others are "more consistent and dominant" than Jones.

"I think a lot of his production is inflated," the exec said. "And he's not always consistent against the run."

Criticism of Jones's ability to defend the run at a high level is nothing new, as he was formerly a very inconsistent player in that regard. The addition of defensive line coach Joe Cullen, however, helped him play a more disciplined and high-effort brand of football on run downs. Jones was as complete as ever in year seven on the job, and the executive didn't provide any quantitative data to back up his opinion. With that said, stats such as run stop percentage could lead one to conclude that Jones is far from all-world when it comes to being a run-stuffer. 

At any rate, Jones still managed to cement his status as the second-best interior defensive lineman in the league. Donald had an injury-shortened 2022 season and is on the wrong side of 30, so some believe that the throne is for the taking. If Jones can follow up with another monster season, despite what one opposing AFC front office member believes, he'll likely earn some more accolades along the way and just might move up this same list a year from now.

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