PFF once again underestimates the Kansas City Chiefs, namely Chris Jones.
Kansas City Chiefs fans have had plenty of gripes with Pro Football Focus over the years. The site's grading system has gained traction in NFL circles, with the league even featuring grades or rankings in broadcasts. But no matter their size, PFF relies on humans to grade individual players and create their anticipated rankings throughout the offseason. PFF's special teams analysis lead, Gordon McGuinness, wrote PFF's interior defender rankings, snubbing PFF's top defensive tackle Chris Jones.
A two-time Super Bowl champion, Jones had a career year in 2022. He logged career highs in sacks (17), pressures (97), tackles (29), hurries (63), and more. It was a dominant year for the 28-year-old Jones. That was still not enough for McGuinness to rank Jones over Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
"2. CHRIS JONES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Jones may be on his way to surpassing Donald as the top interior defender in the NFL. His 92.3 PFF grade in 2022 was the best in the league at the position. With a career-high 97 pressures from 741 pass-rushing snaps, including the playoffs, Jones has established himself as a formidable force in the trenches."
Jones was on his way to surpassing Donald a calendar year ago. Now, in 2023, Jones is the better defensive tackle and his 2022 production proves that. McGuiness gives Donald the benefit of the doubt, as the league's long-time top defensive player only played in 11 games in 2022. The injury bug bit 32-year-old Donald, but that is no reason to ignore Jones outproduced Donald, even according to PFF's own grading system. Jones' 92.3 overall PFF grade was the second-highest among all defensive players, only trailing Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett by .2 points. Donald finished outside the top five, and his 90.5 overall PFF grade was third among all defensive tackles.
The snub is frustrating because Chiefs fans are right when they say Jones was the league's best defensive tackle last season. Donald has had a better career than Jones so far, that is for certain. Donald has the edge on Jones in All-Pro and Pro Bowl accolades, but that is no reason to pick Donald over Jones for the 2023 season alone. NFL players come and go, and Donald is past his prime in Los Angeles. He logged career lows in sacks, games played, tackles for loss, quarterback hits, and more in 2022. He is not washed, but Donald is not at the apex of his career or at the top of the league anymore. That spot is for Jones and Jones alone.
Need more proof? Jones had the per-game edge in every single notable pass-rushing stat.
Sacks
Jones .85 vs. Donald .45
Pressures
Jones 4.85 vs. Donald 3.6
QB Hits
Jones .85 vs. Donald .64
Hurries
Jones 3.15 vs. Donald 2.55
Defensive tackles are no longer just gap stuffers or block eaters. The best collapse the pocket from the middle and make the edge rushers' job easier. There is nothing that I see, with my own eyes or with PFF's, that says Donald is still the league's top defensive tackle. McGuinness weights Donald's accolade-stuffed resume too heavily when in his most recent rankings.