Potential defensive cuts who could interest Kansas City Chiefs
By Jacob Milham
The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing for the 2022 season right now, as the summer approaches. There are still some blatant holes in the defensive unit thought. The Chiefs lack depth along the defensive front, especially at the defensive end.
The team did add defensive end George Karlaftis in the 2022 NFL draft, but he is far from a proven commodity. Mike Danna and Joshua Kaindoh might fill the depth chart, but neither is locked to produce on a consistent basis. The same can be said about the interior defensive line. After star defensive tackle Chris Jones, things get questionable. Derrick Nnadi returned on a one-year deal, but he is a one-trick pony. Tershawn Wharton could take another step forward this season, and Andrew Stallworth is an underrated offseason addition.
All in all, one injury throws both position groups completely out of rhythm. If Danna goes down, who is going to take his snaps? If Nnadi has a season-ending injury, who will start alongside Jones? Those questions and more live in the offseason’s what-ifs when it comes to building a roster.
The Kansas City Chiefs still have some roster needs as the preseason nears. What other teams’ cap or roster casualties could interest the Chiefs?
Those what-ifs stretch to predicting what players will be released around the NFL. Much like the Cheifs though, some players are near-locks to receive their walking papers before the 2022 regular season begins. Among these players, who could draw interest from Kansas City? How can general manager Brett Veach round out his roster before the season starts?
DE Oshane Ximines
The New York Giants have misused defensive end Oshane Ximines for years. If released, the Chiefs would be a sensible home.
The Giants are undergoing another coaching change, with head coach Brian Daboll taking the reigns. This is the second such change for Ximines, a 2019 third-round pick. Ximines has been welcoming new coaching, amidst his shaky roster status.
"“It has definitely rung a bell,” Ximines said. “I’m glad I have the opportunity to learn from all these new guys in the building. The last two years didn’t go how I wanted.”"
Frankly, Ximines has not received a fair opportunity in New York. The Old Dominion alum only played in 27% of the Giants’ defensive snaps in 2021, decreasing from 2019 and 2020. The team invested much of their draft capital into the pass-rushing unit in 2020, something that only buried Ximines further. The team then tried to utilize him as an off-ball linebacker, something for which Ximines is not suited.
Buried on the depth chart with little recent production, Ximines is a prime cut candidate this offseason. Kansas City could utilize him as a weak-side defensive end, someone with speed to take advantage of slower offensive tackles. Ximines would provide depth and competence to the pass-rushing unit if set free from New York.