Chiefs Defensive Tackles Are All Familiar Faces, Is That Enough? — KC Chiefs 2024 Positional Preview

The Chiefs have one superstar and several questions at defensive tackle while bringing back their entire 2023 depth chart.

Sep 12, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs nose tackle Derrick Nnadi (91) talks with defensive end Chris Jones (95) during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs will have a familiar group of faces at defensive tackle in 2024, as the team successfully re-signed Chris Jones and ran it back with the rest of the DT group. Did the Chiefs do enough to dominate the trenches in 2024?

Kansas City Chiefs 2024 positional preview: defensive tackle

Jordan Foote: The Chiefs’ defensive tackle room, like the defense itself, starts and ends with Chris Jones. Getting him back on a new (and massive) contract was the single biggest move Brett Veach made this offseason. Jones is still in his prime and will be seeking another All-Pro season in 2024-25. He sets the table for everyone around him.
Speaking of which, this offseason felt like a missed opportunity to upgrade the nose tackle rotation and depth alongside Jones. Derrick Nnadi rebounded a bit last season but was still largely replaceable, yet Veach and Co. opted to run things back with him anyway. Adding more pass-rush juice at that spot would’ve made a big difference, especially with the versatile Charles Omenihu presumably not present to kick inside to start the season.

Joshua Brisco: I completely agree about Jones — he's the focal point of every opposing offense's gameplan when preparing for the Chiefs. It's a lot of money, but Jones has proven to be worth it. I also agree about the missed opportunity for a refresh.
This isn't a typo: the Chiefs' 2023 and 2024 rosters have an identical top-six (three-deep!) at defensive tackle. We can talk about those specific players next, but I'll also add Mike Danna to the conversation as another EDGE who is a weapon when rushing from the interior. Still, though the unit was solid enough last year (relying heavily on Jones), the entire group has aged by another year and there just isn't much upside for the rest of the line to take a substantial leap.

Foote: Who’s the most intriguing of the backups? Mike Pennel and Matt Dickerson might be the two known commodities, but they’re also likely the two most limited players skillset-wise. Dickerson ate up far more snaps than expected last year; ideally, he should be in a reduced role as long as Nnadi is healthy for the regular season. Pennel should be solid organizational depth.
I’m keeping my eyes on Tershawn Wharton and Neil Farrell. Wharton was very clearly getting back in the swing of things in the first half of last season but turned in some good snaps down the stretch. The problem is that he’s undersized and purely a rotational pass-rusher. Farrell is the wild card, for my money, at that spot. He’s young and talented enough to end up making a difference, but we also don’t have much evidence to go off to expect anything from him.

Brisco: Wharton is a clear success story after signing with KC as a UDFA out of Missouri S&T in 2020, and he may be the second-most-athletic DT in the group behind Jones. Still, as you mentioned, that athleticism mostly only pops in pass-rush situations, which makes him a valuable but limited player. Farrell, who is decidedly not undersized, is a mystery. He was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth round in 2022 and the Chiefs acquired him for a sixth-round pick ahead of the 2023 season before playing him for just 41 total defensive regular-season snaps. Either Farrell has seriously disappointed half the AFC West in just two seasons, or the Chiefs never figured out how to use him last year. Given the questionable depth, Farrell should have opportunities in 2024, but I have no idea if the Chiefs are still excited about what he could provide.

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