Chiefs Add Former Day 2 NFL Draft Pick Siaki Ika to Practice Squad

For the final stretch of their season, the Kansas City Chiefs are investing in the defensive line by adding DT Siaki Ika to the practice squad.

Dec 28, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Siaki Ika (62) celebrates after the Browns beat the New York Jets at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Down the stretch of a grueling season, every NFL team would be wise to keep its organizational depth chart as full as possible with talent. In a game of razor-thin margins, it's becoming more and more evident that no contribution is too small. On occasion, practice squad players will even end up making a difference if elevated for games.

For the Kansas City Chiefs, they're keeping the defensive line room flush with players with that in mind. One recent addition drives that point home more. Per the NFL's daily personnel notice for Friday, the reigning Super Bowl champions have signed defensive tackle Siaki Ika to the practice squad.

Ika, still just 24 years old, was a third-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in last year's NFL Draft. The former LSU and Baylor standout played four college seasons, racking up a box score of 70 combined tackles (11 for loss), five sacks and three batted passes. The 2021 campaign, which saw him set a career-best mark with four sacks and six tackles for loss, helped build a case for him to be a Day 2 draft pickup.

At Baylor, specifically, Ika aligned at a few different interior spots and served as a run-stuffing nose tackle of sorts. Standing at 6-foot-3 and 335 pounds, he provides natural intrigue because of his ability to take up space and win with power. On the other hand, only 2021 showcased his ability to be more of a disruptor in any phase of the game. Outside of that, he was a somewhat static pass rusher while bringing the same patented floor in run support.

Despite the profile Ika offered coming into the draft, he's failed to live up to the hype in the NFL. He appeared in just four games for Cleveland last season, playing 100 defensive snaps and adding another five on special teams. After getting waived prior to this year's roster cutdown deadline, he stuck around with the Browns for a couple more months but later latched on with the Philadelphia Eagles. He never logged a snap in Philadelphia.

Kansas City provides Ika with another chance to find his best fit at the professional level. The Chiefs already have a solid interior defensive line room that's headlined by Chris Jones but supported by Derrick Nnadi, Tershawn Wharton and Mike Pennel. With that said, the latter trio is all on one-year deals. Ika's style of play is most comparable to someone like Nnadi: a two-down nose tackle whose purpose is to occupy gaps and stop the run. Adding him in December might just lead to a reserve/futures contract down the line.

In either event, the Chiefs are leaving themselves well-insulated as the postseason and offseason get closer.

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