The Kansas City Chiefs surprised a lot of people when they selected Omarr Norman-Lott with the 63rd overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. While the Chiefs certainly needed some interior pass-rush help to pair with Chris Jones, Norman-Lott wasn't expected to go that high and was viewed more as a part-time pass-rush specialist than an every-down player.
The Chiefs' lack of depth at the position forced Norman-Lott into limited playing time to start the season, but an ACL injury ended his season in Week 7. While he has some natural pass-rush upside, that injury likely prevented some much-needed development. So now the Chiefs find themselves with (at least in the eyes of some) an overdrafted second-round pick who missed out on time to develop as a rookie and is now rehabbing an injury.
That would be enough reason to question just how impactful Norman-Lott is going to be this season, but now that K.C. has made two major additions at the position this offseason, there are even more questions about how much playing time (let alone impact) he can have this season. Even if he weren't coming back from an ACL injury, he would still likely be the clear fourth defensive tackle on the roster.
Chiefs no longer need Norman-Lott to play right away
There is no disputing that Chris Jones is still K.C.'s top interior player. While he's starting to reach the tail end of his prime, he is still K.C.'s most impactful player on defense. The Chiefs then signed a true run-stuffer in free agency in former New England Patriots defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga. He will definitely be K.C.'s primary run stopper on the interior regardless of Norman-Lott's development.
K.C. then used its late first-round pick on defensive tackle Peter Woods out of Clemson. Woods has the upside to develop into an impactful every-down player. It's far too early to compare Woods to Chris Jones, but that is the type of player the Chiefs are hoping he can develop into. So if the Chiefs have their star in Chris Jones, their run stopper in Khyiris Tonga, and a player they hope is the future of the position in Peter Woods, where does that leave Norman-Lott?
When asked about Norman-Lott after an OTA practice earlier this week, Steve Spagnuolo simply replied, "We've got to get Omarr healthy again."
That pretty much says it all. The Chiefs already have their top three defensive tackles for this season, and ONL just needs to prove he's healthy and deserves to be part of the rotation. An NFL team will frequently use four defensive tackles as part of its rotation, so there is room for Norman-Lott if he shows that he's deserving.
Now it's up to Norman-Lott to earn his role
If there is any good news for Norman-Lott, it is that there simply isn't a single other proven NFL-caliber defensive tackle on the roster that he has to compete with for the fourth spot on the depth chart. The other four defensive tackles on the roster consist of three undrafted rookies and a former seventh-round pick who is on his fourth team in two years. So as long as he can get back to full health and show some upside, his roster spot should be secure. The same can't be said for his playing time.
Omarr Norman-Lott likely will still be taking it easy during mandatory minicamp, but he has to be hoping he can go all out with no limitations in training camp. If he can, he'll have a chance to prove the Chiefs didn't waste a second-round pick on him last season and earn some playing time this season. Otherwise, he may find himself sitting on the bench and watching Chris Jones, Khyiris Tonga, and Peter Woods do most of the work.
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