8 defensive line prospects who could be perfect draft fits for the Chiefs

Early Round Defensive Tackle Options For The Chiefs

T'Vondre Sweat - Texas - 6'5" - 366 pounds

On Friday morning the Chiefs social media team tweeted out a short NFL Draft promo video that featured the massive T'Vondre Sweat and the possibility of pairing him with Chris Jones in Kansas City. Jones apparently liked the idea because he retweeted the post.

Sweat is just a massive human being and the thought of pairing him next to the NFL's best defensive tackle would be terrifying for opposing offensive lines. There are conditioning concerns with players of Sweat's size, and he didn't help those concerns when he failed to cut any noticeable weight for the NFL combine. However, with Jones next to him, the Chiefs wouldn't need him to be an every-down player.

The first round is a little rich for my blood for Sweat, but if his weight concerns allowed him to slip to the late second, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to take him. His 92.0 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus was one of the best in college football last season and his size and power would demand double teams that would make the NFL's best pass-rushing interior defender even more free to wreak havoc.

Kris Jenkins Jr. - Michigan - 6'3" - 299 pounds

Kris Jenkins Jr. is looking to follow in his father's footsteps. The elder Jenkins was a two-time All Pro for the Carolina Panthers in the early 2000s. While the younger Jenkins isn't quite as massive as his father, he's an incredibly tough and strong player for his size. In PFF's draft guide, they rated him a 9/10 on his ability to anchor and 2-gap and a 10/10 for balance and play strength.

When you turn on Jenkins' tape, you see an incredibly tough player with a high motor who constantly fights toward the ball carrier. Despite not being the biggest defensive tackle, he uses his long 34" arms to shed blockers and fight through traffic. While Jenkins wouldn't be the freakish force of nature that Sweat would be, his reliable work ethic and willingness to do the dirty work would pair extremely well with Chris Jones.

If the Chiefs don't go with a defensive tackle early, there are still a couple of other options I like for them in the middle to late rounds.