Darrell Jackson Jr. could cement Chiefs' defensive interior as a real strength

When the Kansas City Chiefs signed Khyiris Tonga, fans might've heard collective cheers across Kansas City and Chiefs Kingdom. While signing a solid nose tackle certainly is encouraging, that's not why folks are cheering. Hopefully, this ended the long-running nightmare at defensive tackle, which starred Derrick Nnadi, Keondre Coburn, Neil Farrell Jr., and Marlin Tuipulotu in recurring roles.

The Chiefs have paired Chris Jones with the literal bare minimum for far too long, and now it looks like they are getting serious about getting help on the inside. Tonga paired with last year's second-round pick Omarr Norman-Lott is a nice start to helping out Chris Jones, but the Chiefs could add another defensive tackle in the draft to finally turn a weakness into a real strength.

To keep close tabs on the 2026 NFL Draft and the top prospects for the Kansas City Chiefs, make sure to bookmark our Arrowhead Addict Big Board. Our custom big board is tailored toward the Chiefs’ needs and thresholds.

Darrell Jackson Jr., IDL, Florida State

1. Darrell Jackson Jr.'s bio
2. Darrell Jackson Jr.'s strengths
3. Darrell Jackson Jr.'s weaknesses
4. How does Darrell Jackson Jr. fit the Chiefs?

Darrell Jackson Jr.'s bio

Age: 23 (on draft day)

Height: 6-5

Weight: 315 LBS

Hand: 11 inches

Arms: 34 3/4

Tape Exposure: Alabama (2025), Florida (2025), Virginia Tech (2025)

Jackson Jr. attended Gadsden County High School in Havana, Florida. Rated as a 3-star prospect by 247Sports, he committed to Maryland out of high school. After one season, he entered the transfer portal and committed to Miami, where he played his sophomore season. In 2023, he transferred again but was forced to sit out all but one of Florida State's games due to NCAA transfer rules. He then finished out his eligibility at Florida State. Jackson finished his college career with 129 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks.

Darrell Jackson Jr.'s strengths

Frame

Massive human with excellent length and weight. His nearly 35-inch arms help him reach out and secure tackles while still being engaged in a block. Eleven-inch hands and a 7-2 wingspan make him a problem for passes over the middle of the field.

Strength at the Point of Attack

Ability to anchor and set a firm foundation against blockers, with a strong two-gapping presence and surprising lateral agility for his size. Stacks and sheds blocks well.

Pass Rush Upside

Has flashed consistent ability to collapse the pocket with a strong bull rush. Logged 44 pressures over his last two seasons at Florida State.

Darrell Jackson Jr.'s weaknesses

Play Height

Can lose leverage against blockers by coming out of his stance too high. Some hip tightness. Struggled against Parker Brailsford and Kaydn Proctor for that reason.

First Step

Not the quickest off the ball. Seems to consistently fire off the ball a step or two slower than others. Also hurts his ability to impact non-gap-scheme runs.

Athleticsm

Not overly explosive. More of a straight-line athlete, not dynamic laterally. Not much of a pass-rush plan other than pocket pushing.

How does Darrell Jackson Jr. fit the Chiefs?

Khyiris Tonga played about 33% of the snaps for the Patriots last year. Derrick Nnadi played about 15% of the snaps last season for the Chiefs. Should Kansas City target another pure nose tackle? This is a larger question about this class as a whole because the good defensive tackle depth is at nose with guys like Lee Hunter, Kayden McDonald, and Dontay Corleone. Or are the Chiefs better off adding a more traditional 3-tech gap shooter?

If the Chiefs want to start spelling Chris Jones more, it makes sense to probably add at least one of each over the next year or so. Right now, they need to see what they have in Omarr Norman-Lott post-injury. But the need for more beef on the inside still stands. No more tweeners like Jerry Tillery, Mike Danna, or Charles Omenihu. Time to start fortifying the run defense in the trenches so the Chiefs aren't playing so much base defense that gets them carved up in the play-action passing game.

Darrell Jackson is a physical presence at nose tackle who brings an ideal frame to the position. He brings a strong run-stuffing element to a defensive line and flashes pass-rush upside as a pocket pusher. Limitations in play height and lateral agility might cap his ceiling to an early-down player.

Round Grade: Grey Chip (Day 3 Grade)

Shades of: Gervon Dexter