Grading the Chiefs defensive free agent signings from 2022
Who were the top free agent signings on defense last year for the KC Chiefs and how well did those players perform in the Super Bowl-winning season?
The Kansas City Chiefs will continue to build their team in hopes of repeating as Super Bowl champions next season. The offseason officially kicked off two weeks ago when free agency commenced. The next key event is the 2023 NFL Draft, which is to be held at Union Station in downtown Kansas City in late April.
After the opening bell of free agency, the team waived goodbye to key contributors, such as Orlando Brown Jr., Juan Thornhill, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Although they lost some key names, they also signed several players they hope will be a significant part of their next Super Bowl run, including Jawaan Taylor, Drue Tranquill, and Mike Edwards.
It’s too early to tell which players the Chiefs have brought in (so far) will be contributors and which will disappoint but who were the biggest free-agent signings on the defensive side of the ball last year for the Chiefs and how well did those players perform relative to expectations?
These players range from guys who didn’t even make the final roster after training camp to players who played dozens of snaps in the Super Bowl LVII victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Let’s review the most significant 2022 free-agent signings on the defensive side of the ball and assign a grade to each one, starting with a veteran pass rusher.
Carlos Dunlap, Defensive End
In late July of 2022, one of the biggest concerns that the Chiefs had was their pass rush group surrounding Chris Jones. As a countermeasure, they signed veteran defensive lineman Carlos Dunlap to a 1-year contract.
Due to his age, it was never expected that he would be a starter, but due to Frank Clark’s suspension and Mike Danna’s injury, he did play a little more than originally expected. According to Pro Football Focus ($), in 444 pass rush snaps, he logged 41 total pressures, 4.0 sacks, and 8 batted passes. In the AFC Championship Game alone, he recorded seven pressures in just 31 snaps, his most productive game of the season.
The Chiefs pretty much got what they paid for when they brought in Carlos Dunlap. He served as a veteran leader for a young defense, provided some juice for an ailing pass rush, was solid against the run, and was also tied for the league lead in batted passes among all defensive linemen with eight. He was the depth pass rusher that the Chiefs were looking for when they signed him.
The Grade: B+
Note: Grades will be relative to the expectations for each player.