How the Chiefs Can Improve Their Pass Rush at the Trade Deadline

If Kansas City is looking for a defensive end, one team in particular makes a ton of sense.

A quick look at the Kansas City Chiefs' basic stats against the pass would lead one to believe that Steve Spagnuolo's defense generates a good amount of pressure from the defensive end position. After all, a top-10 ranking in both team sacks and ESPN's pass rush win rate proves that, right?

Right?

Not so fast. Of Kansas City's 19 team sacks, only 5.5 of them have come from traditional defensive ends. Players such as cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, defensive tackle Chris Jones and linebacker Nick Bolton have chipped in multiple sacks of their own to add to the overall total. While Jones has spent some time on the outside and defensive end Mike Danna's 16.1% pressure rate is impressive, the former is a primary interior lineman and the latter is an outside-inside "tweener" who's been nursing an injury as of late. Things aren't as peachy keen as they appear to be on the surface.

The Chiefs aren't getting a ton of help from their defensive end depth. Veterans Frank Clark and Carlos Dunlap have a combined five sacks but are getting pressure at respective 7.1% and 7.6% clips. Second-year man Malik Herring has no pressures in 47 pass-rush snaps this year, and rookie first-round pick George Karlaftis is posting an 8.8% pressure rate with no sacks to show for it in 226 opportunities. 2021 fourth-round pick Joshua Kaindoh is phased out of the team's plans on game days. This set of circumstances forces Spagnuolo to get creative, hence the Jones-at-defensive-end packages and the linebacker or cornerback blitzes to generate pressure.

With more players rushing the passer, Spagnuolo is left relying on a young and inexperienced secondary to fill in the gaps in coverage. This risky defensive strategy works when at its best but when things are even a slight bit off, the results can be catastrophic. As such, it would behoove Kansas City to consider the idea of adding an additional defensive end before the NFL's Nov. 1 trade deadline. My colleague Zack Eisen has covered some big-swing candidates, but the Houston Texans could have some low-risk help readily available in the coming days.

At 1-4-1 through six games, Houston's season is going nowhere fast. With an abysmal record and not a ton of proven talent currently on the roster, the team's focus should be shifted to stockpiling draft picks and young, controllable assets for the foreseeable future. Luckily for the Texans, the Chiefs have a plethora of 2023 draft picks at their disposal. Luckily for the Chiefs, the Texans' pass-rush duo of Jerry Hughes and Rasheem Green gives Kansas City a pair of players to at least pick up the phone and inquire about. 

Hughes, who turned 34 back in August, signed a two-year deal with Houston during the offseason. The veteran carried a cap hit of $3.75 million into the 2022 campaign, which is a very manageable number for just about any team. Additionally, his $6.25M cap hit in 2023 projects to be well worth it given his production. 

In 157 pass-rush snaps this year, Hughes is generating pressure at a 10.8% clip and has four sacks. His 15.1% win rate trumps that of Dunlap (9.9%), Karlaftis (11.1%) and Clark (12.1%). He's been one of the more consistent players in football for years, and joining a defensive end rotation on a contending team for the back nine of his career could help both him and the Chiefs flourish. Hughes doesn't fit the Texans' timeline whatsoever and could likely be had for a mid or late-round draft pick.

Green hasn't played as much as Hughes this season, but the 2018 third-round pick is making the most of his time on the field. In 98 pass-rush snaps in 2022, the USC product is logging an 11.2% pressure rate and has 3.5 sacks in the process. At 6-foot-4, 279 pounds with 333/4 inch arms, he also has a bit of proven alignment versatility along the defensive line. That's a massive plus in a Spagnuolo system.

Coming into the year with a $3.25M cap hit, Green makes a ton of sense for any team looking for a half-season rental at the defensive end position. That short-term contract status also drives down his trade value in terms of compensation required to come back to Houston. Still just 25 years old, he has plenty of incentive to perform well for the rest of the year and attempt to parlay that performance into a long-term contract with a pass-rush-needy club this offseason. As far as Green and Hughes are concerned, the Chiefs would be wise to talk over the possibility of adding either Texans edge-rusher to help them gear up for a playoff run in a few months.

Unless otherwise noted, all pressure rates and win percentages in this article are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

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