Brett Veach isn't done tinkering. The Kansas City Chiefs general manager still has nearly two full weeks before his finished work takes the field at Arrowhead to host the Denver Broncos. But an early glimpse at the semi-finalized roster tilts heavily toward younger players, and that's especially true of the defensive front.
After years of forcing Chris Jones to handle things in the interior surrounded by role players, the Chiefs infused defensive tackle with an exciting array of new arrivals. The team also diversified its approach at defensive end, chasing prospects with a higher ceiling and more versatile pass rush palette.
It's impossible to tell at this point how things might turn out, but the Chiefs' youth movement is a clear organizational shift, an immediate response from the front office to a 6-11 season.
Consider that the Chiefs have four rookies among their nine defensive linemen as presently constructed (rookies in bold, newcomers in italics):
- Chirs Jones
- George Karlaftis
- Khyiris Tonga
- R Mason Thomas
- Ashton Gillotte
- Peter Woods
- Felix Anudike-Uzomah
- Bryson Eason
- Jack Pyburn
That's five newcomers and four rookies, including draft picks from both the first and second rounds. That comes on the heels of consecutive selections in the second and third rounds in the 2025 draft—a sign that the front office had a mandate to rebuild the defensive front while Jones was still a cornerstone.
While the rookies face a learning curve, as all first-year players do, consider the sea change this represents for the Chiefs compared to years past. Proven veterans who are well-versed in Steve Spagnuolo's demands have dotted the depth chart for years, even at the bottom of the depth chart. Consider the names who were even rotational pass rushers or role players inside over the years. Here's a sampling of the limited veterans who occupied roster spots now given over to younger players:
- Derrick Nnadi
- Mike Pennel
- Charles Omenihu
- Jerry Tillery
- Mike Danna
- Malik Herring
While it's nice to minimize mistakes and wait for impactful players like Jones or Karlaftis to do their thing, the Chiefs' overly safe approach also formed an organizational ceiling. The team was never going to see any of those players radically alter the momentum of a game or even serve as a threat for opposing offensive coordinators to account for.
Employing a mix of veterans and youth would work just fine, but the last few years were heavily tilted in favor of older (safer) linemen. If the Chiefs ever tried to develop a younger lineman, it was in the form of a late-round flyer (Keondre Coburn) or roster cast-off (Cam Thomas). It wasn't until the arrivals of Omarr Norman-Lott and Gillotte that something began to feel different, at least on paper.
Veach's radical departure is notable this year. Not only did he spend a first-round pick on Clemson's Peter Woods at No. 29 but he immediately followed that up at the top of the second round with Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas. He's an atypical defensive end for Spagnuolo, who hasn't known what to do with speed rushers in the past, but the upside is enticing and the preseason results speak for themselves. Veach went on to claim two more linemen after roster cuts in former 49ers defensive tackle Bryson Eason and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Jack Pyburn.
No one can guarantee whether or not the younger assembly will make any more of a difference than the senior committee up front. It's possible that the Chiefs are going to swing-and-miss (wrong sport) in their attempts to shake things up, but the juice is worth the squeeze, as they say. The Chiefs' line lacked teeth in 2025 and it was time to reinvigorate things up front in a major way. With five new faces among nine linemen—with four of them ready to take their first official NFL snap—the Chiefs' defensive front has its most potential in years.
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