AFC West defensive line rankings: Chargers, Broncos rule the division
By Grant Tuttle
3. The Kansas City Chiefs
EDGEs: Frank Clark, Alex Okafor, Emmanuel Ogbah, Breeland Speaks*, Tanoh Kpassagnon. DTs: Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Xavier Williams, Khalen Saunders, Joey Ivie
On the surface, it does not seem as though the Chiefs have improved much from last season along the defensive line. On the edges, we see Frank Clark who general manager Brett Veach regards as one of the best defensive players in football. On the other side, the Chiefs will likely play a mixture of Alex Okafor and Emmanuel Ogbah who have had high and low points in their careers to this point.
On the inside is where Chris Jones plays, where he is feared by interior linemen throughout the league. Jones is quicker than most defensive lineman and is an excellent pass-rusher. The other guys that play inside, including up-and-comer Derrick Nnadi, are behemoths that can stop the run on first and second down.
Projections:
Frank Clark: 57 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss, 14 sacks
Alex Okafor: 40 tackles, 6 tackles for a loss, 7 sacks
Emmanuel Ogbah: 22 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 0 sacks
Chris Jones: 41 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, 12.5 sacks
Derrick Nnadi: 32 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks
Xavier Williams: 23 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 0 sacks