Defensive free agents that make sense for KC Chiefs

Defensive Tackle

Khalen Saunders

Kansas City’s former third-round pick in 2019 has reached the end of his rookie deal. In 2022, he rebounded nicely from limited playing time over the past two seasons. Saunders trailed only Chris Jones in defensive snaps from the defensive tackle position. He played meaningful snaps and made plays throughout Kansas City’s Super Bowl-winning campaign. Saunders made his presence felt as both a run stopper and where the Chiefs’ pass rush was concerned. The Western Illinois product did not log a single start in 2022, but registered 3.5 sacks. The Chiefs should strongly consider bringing him back on a two-year, low eight-figure deal.

Matt Ioannidis

On the off-chance the Kansas City Chiefs can’t strike a deal with Saunders, the team might take a look at veteran DT Matt Ioannidis. The seven-year veteran spent last season in Carolina and received a 66.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. Ioannidis is 29 years old, but is a versatile defender who’ll help bolster KC’s defensive interior up front. Last year, Ioannidis started 13 games for the Panthers and posted five tackles for loss. Next to arguably the league’s best defensive tackle, the Chiefs could get a lift from acquiring his services.

Defensive End

Tershawn Wharton

The undrafted edge out of Missouri S&T joined Kansas City in 2020. In a relatively short period of time, his occasional splash play caught the attention of fans in Chiefs Kingdom. Unfortunately, Wharton was felled by an ACL injury in Week 5 that cost him the rest of the regular season. He had been playing fairly well, logging four quarterback hits in just five games in 2022. The three-year man, affectionately known as “Turk”, is headed for restricted free agency in a few weeks. Veterans Frank Clark and Carlos Dunlap are 29 and 33 years old, respectively. Kansas City should mull over a reunion with Wharton, at least in 2023.

Arden Key

Around this time last year, fifth-year defensive end Arden Key took a visit with the Kansas City Chiefs. He would ultimately sign a one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. His addition to Jacksonville helped them build a Top 12 scoring defense in 2022. Key will be just 27 years old when the new season starts. His 4.5 sacks were third on the Jaguars’ defense last year and is athletic and versatile. He has the ability to rush the passer from different spots on the defensive line and would be a welcome addition in KC.

Dawuane Smoot

Another member of the Jaguars’ defensive front makes the list. Originally drafted by Jacksonville in 2017, Smoot has rounded out into a nice edge player. Last season, he posted five sacks alongside Josh Allen and Arden Key. The trouble for Smoot is that he’ll be trying to rebound from a torn Achilles injury he sustained in a Week 15 matchup with the New York Jets. This could mean he’s more likely to return to Jacksonville but might be pried away with a fair-market offer by another team. Suitors should expect him to potentially miss some time to start the 2023 season, but once recovered, he could be a nice piece to add to a solid defensive line group.

Charles Omenihu

The former Texas Longhorn may be a bit of a longshot in Kansas City due to a recent domestic violence allegation. On the football field, Omenihu’s been a mixed bag, but he did have a solid season last year as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. At just 25 years old, he’s still young enough that he can continue to evolve, especially under the tutelage of defensive line coach Joe Cullen. Cullen had a massive impact on Kansas City’s defensive line group in 2022 and could be the right man to help Omenihu continue to round into form. This is the kind of low-risk signing that could prove timely for the Chiefs in 2023.

Safety:

Juan Thornhill

Safeties

Juan Thornhill

Few draft picks during Brett Veach’s tenure evoke mixed feelings as much as the selection of safety Juan Thornhill. While he’s a two-time Super Bowl champion, his play over the past four seasons has been inconsistent, to say the least. That inconsistency even marked his 2022 campaign. He did play well over the back half of the season, but the question remains whether or not he’ll be worth resigning at his present value. The good news for Kansas City is that Thornhill will enter a fairly deep safety market once free agency opens. The challenge is trying to fit an extension in with the $31.5 million dollars Kansas City is already paying Justin Reid.

Taylor Rapp

If an extension for Thornhill falls through and the Kansas City Chiefs aren’t quite ready for a second-round draft pick Bryan Cook to assume the starting role, fourth-year man Taylor Rapp is an intriguing option. He’ll likely fetch a deal in the neighborhood of the one the Chiefs gave Justin Reid last year. That might seem unreasonable considering present investments into the position, but the Chiefs are very young in their defensive secondary with several of their key defensive backs still on rookie contracts. Rapp received a 76.2 grade from PFF for his 2022 campaign. He had six pass deflections last season and ranked third on his team in tackles. He’s not the best deep coverage option out there, but does offer the kind of versatility Spags likes his defensive backs to have.

Ryan Neal

Following Geno Smith’s NFL Comeback Player of the Year campaign in 2022, the Seattle Seahawks may want to batten down their core talent. Safety Ryan Neal could be one of the pieces they hope to retain. At just 27, he was one of the team’s best defensive players. He was named to PFF’s All-Pro Team in 2022. Neal is a strong safety and would not be a 1:1 replacement for Thornhill’s skill set, but given how many different packages Spagnuolo deploys, that could open the door to more of Bryan Cook as center fielder. Last season, Neal had one interception, one fumble, one sack, and four tackles for loss. He’ll be an inexpensive option if the Chiefs are looking for external options.

Donovan Wilson

Safety Donovan Wilson is my darkhorse option on this list. It’s tough to gauge his value for 2023, but there’s a chance he gets a significant contract extension in Dallas. He did it all for the Cowboys’ defense in 2022. With 101 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception, and seven tackles for loss, that’s the kind of talent you’d want to retain on a Top 5 defense. The secondary room is a bit crowded and he may ultimately defect for another team. Kansas City might be a great landing spot at the right price.

The 2022 draft class has afforded the Kansas City Chiefs quite a bit of flexibility. With 11 more selections in the upcoming draft, the Chiefs won’t need major reinforcements on the defensive side of the football. That said, a few key decisions could set Steve Spagnuolo and company up for an even more successful year in 2023. Not needing a splash signing is a good problem to have for Kansas City.

Hopefully, the Chiefs can retain the services of one or two of their pending free agents and add a relatively young player who can improve the overall talent of their defense in the new season. If they can have half of the success they’ve enjoyed in recent years in the draft, this defense has a chance to become one of the best young units in the National Football League. Paired with a two-time MVP in Patrick Mahomes, that should be quite a scary thought for the field.