1. Tershawn “Turk” Wharton, defensive tackle
Being stuck behind perennial Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones has not necessarily been the most positive occurrence for former undrafted free agent defensive tackle Tershawn “Turk” Wharton. The position has certainly prevented him from becoming a larger contributor, but it has not stopped him from being a force.
After competing for Missouri S&T in college, few gave the former collegiate standout a second glance during the draft process. Small school, low-level competition, no big offers—the math rarely adds up to a productive NFL player. Fortunately, general manager Brett Veach’s team didn’t sleep on the small school product, and they snagged a good one when Wharton signed with the team after the draft.
Across two seasons, Turk has played in all 33 regular season games in addition to all six of the team’s playoff games. He’s notched 5 career sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 5 tackles for loss since joining the team in 2020.
He’s been the talk of training camp this summer and also showed some brilliant playmaking and incredible athleticism during the Chiefs’ first preseason game against the Chicago Bears, leading many to believe that he’s going to take a step to get even better in 2022. And the opportunity may certainly be there as Kansas City looks to parlay its newfound defensive line depth into the biggest possible strategic advantage, keeping players fresh as much as possible to maximize their ability.