Domonique Orange fits Chiefs draft mold as Tonga-style run stopper

One of the questions that has been hard to answer about the Chiefs' draft plans this year is the interior defensive line. The Chiefs hopefully waved goodbye for good to aging veterans along the interior defensive line like Derrick Nnadi, Mike Pennel, and Jerry Tillery. They've added Khyiris Tonga as a pure nose tackle and have Omarr Norman-Lott returning from injury as well. Chris Jones is the obvious force multiplier, but after those guys, there's a whole lot of "meh" sitting on the roster.

It feels like the Chiefs certainly have a draft need at defensive tackle, and the question is which way do they lean? Are they looking for a more pure run-stuffing presence or a more penetrating 3-technique? The bad news is this class is thin on 3-techniques. However, if the Chiefs are looking for another run stuffer, that opens up the class quite a bit.

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NFL Draft Profile: Domonique Orange, IDL, Iowa State

1. Domonique Orange's background
2. Domonique Orange's strengths
3. Domonique Orange's weaknesses
4. Domonique Orange's fit with the Chiefs

Domonique Orange's background

Age: 22 (on draft day)

Height: 6-2 3/8

Weight: 322 LBS

Hands: 10 1/4 inches

Arms: 33 3/8 inches

Tape Exposure: Iowa (2025), Kansas State (2025), Arizona State (2025)

A Kansas City native, Orange graduated from North Kansas City High, where he also lettered in basketball. His older brother played college football as well and also has a futures contract in the CFL. Orange was a 3-star recruit and the No. 9 overall recruit in the state of Missouri. He reportedly was over 400 lbs in his senior year of high school, causing several high-level schools to resend their offers. He committed to Iowa State in 2022.

He started for about 2.5 seasons at Iowa State. While not posting many stats, he was a force in the run game and chose to stay loyal to the Cyclones. Orange earned Academic All-Big 12 honors in 2024 and graduated with a degree (December 2025). He finished his college career with 1 sack, 7 tackles for loss, and 66 tackles.

Domonique Orange's strengths

Power

A 2-time member of Bruce Feldman's Freaks List, known for his 450 lb bench press, 650 lb squat, and 365 lb power clean. He also vertical jumped 34 inches this summer. His power translates to his game as well. He's a brick wall—when he puts the anchor down, you just can't move this guy with one or two blockers.

Agility

Despite his size, Orange moves well. He spent time with a nutritionist at Iowa State to slim down to 325 lbs. He's never going to be an elite pass rusher, but he does have agility laterally, which is helpful against zone-heavy teams and handy in stunts.

Durability and Dependability

Played in 50 total games over his 4-year career with no injury concerns. Credited for his maturity and growth over his time at Iowa State. Feels like an easy plug-and-play guy for any defense that is just going to be a solid run-stopping force.

Domonique Orange's weaknesses

Production

Hardly any production with very few tackles for loss and virtually no pass-rush production. It's hard to look at him on paper and see how he impacts the game regularly.

Conditioning

Some body concerns dating back to high school. If he's not winning off the snap against the pass, he's not keeping his motor going. Tends to shut down the rep early.

Play Height

For a guy in the trenches at 6-2, he plays too high, especially off the snap. Needs to win with leverage more consistently.

Domonique Orange's fit with the Chiefs

What's better than one Khyiris Tonga? Two Khyiris Tongas! Orange would add size and strength to the defensive front, offering valuable depth at nose tackle. By absorbing double teams and holding his ground in the middle, he would create opportunities for the linebackers and secondary to attack gaps and make impactful plays against the run. At this point, it's hard to get upset about the Chiefs adding more youth and explosion at the interior after years of ignoring it.

Orange is a massive, space-eating nose tackle who excels at anchoring in the middle, absorbing double teams, and keeping linebackers clean to make plays against the run. He uses his length, strength, and active hands to control blockers at the point of attack, though his impact is mostly limited to early downs due to minimal pass-rush ability and inconsistent block shedding. While durable and physically imposing, he must improve conditioning, tackling efficiency, and overall range to become a more complete contributor at the next level.

Shades of: Khyiris Tonga

Round Grade:Red Chip (3rd round grade)