Grading the Chiefs defensive free agent signings from 2022
Danny Shelton, Defensive Tackle
Seemingly out of nowhere in the middle of August, the Chiefs signed former first-round pick Danny Shelton to bolster the interior of their defensive line. Shelton has never been much of a pass rusher and was more of a run stuffer. The Chiefs had hoped that he would serve as a solid depth option that could thrive on early downs to give Chris Jones some rest.
Shelton was cut at the end of training camp and signed to the practice squad shortly after. He was only active for a single game, only playing nine snaps and failing to record a statistic.
Personally, I did not have super high expectations for Shelton when he was signed since it’s relatively rare to sign an impact player that late in the process. It was disappointing for him to only play in one game but it was also not shocking. He signed a reserve/future contract shortly after Super Bowl LVII so the team clearly liked what they saw from him throughout the season.
The Grade: C-
Taylor Stallworth, Defensive Tackle
When the Chiefs signed Taylor Stallworth, some fans thought the team had found a diamond in the rough. He recorded three sacks the season before, in a relatively small sample size, and it was expected for much of the offseason that he would make the team. That was not the case as he was a victim of the final roster cuts but was retained on the practice squad. The Chiefs waived him after Week 13, where he was claimed by the Houston Texans.
Stallworth dressed for six games in the middle of the year and did not play very well. He did record a quarterback hit (his only pressure) in 31 pass rush snaps but got lit up a little bit in the run game.
Given that Taylor Stallworth was once seen as a solid depth player behind Chris Jones, being claimed by the worst team in the NFL at the time is a rough ending to a signing that some viewed as a good one. Four total tackles is not fantastic value and his grade will be docked a little since he did not finish the season with the team.
The Grade: D+