The Kansas City Chiefs have seen several starters from their 2025 defense join other teams during the initial wave of free agency. They traded away All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, and other starters like Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook, Leo Chenal, Derrick Nnadi, and Charles Omenihu have all found new homes in the first week of the NFL's free agency signing period. While the Chiefs did make big waves with the signing of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, their defensive signings haven't had that same name recognition or excitement around them.
The Chiefs have added defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, safety Alohi Gilman, and cornerback Kader Kohou to their roster thus far in free agency. None of these players are household names, and their signings certainly didn't lead any national sports programs, but that doesn't mean that they weren't very smart signings by Brett Veach and the Chiefs. All three of these players fill major needs and could end up being seen as underrated additions or flat-out steals by midseason.
Khyiris Tonga - Defensive Tackle
The Kansas City Chiefs have tried to get by with cheap, run-stuffing defensive tackles next to Chris Jones over the past couple of seasons. Derrick Nnadi and Mike Pennel have primarily filled that role over the past couple of seasons with mixed results. Nnadi has been a below-average player, and Pennel was successful at times but will turn 35 soon and simply isn't an every-down player anymore.
Khyiris Tonga is a big man at 6-foot-2 and 335 pounds. He is perfectly built to play nose tackle and fill run lanes in the NFL. His stocky, low-to-the-ground stature and physical power will be a major asset against opposing run defenses. He had a run-stop percentage last season that was better than anyone on KC's roster, and while he isn't known as a pass rusher, he has the power and first-step quickness to push the pocket and be disruptive. He was listed as the 7th-best free agent DT at NFL.com this season.
Tonga is simply better than anyone that KC has had at defensive tackle next to Chris Jones, maybe ever. Granted, that bar isn't very high, but it does upgrade their defensive front. Plus, it will allow Omarr Norman-Lott to really focus on being an interior pass-rush specialist as he returns from his injury last season. While Tonga's 3-year/$21 million deal isn't nothing, his $3.2 million cap hit in 2026 is small enough that it makes this signing incredibly affordable. Then you throw in the fact that he's played some fullback snaps, and it makes his signing all the more fun.
Alohi Gilman - Safety
While KC may have lost Bryan Cook at safety, they replaced him with a versatile and proven starter in Alohi Gilman. Cook was viewed as the top free agent safety on the market, and he cashed in with a 3-year deal for just over $40 million. Meanwhile, Gilman's 3-year deal with the Chiefs is for a little over $24 million. So the Chiefs saved over $5 million per year while landing a player that seems to be a perfect fit for how Steve Spagnuolo likes to use his safeties.
The Chiefs have a couple of young options at safety in Jaden Hicks and Chamarri Conner, but Gilman has much more proven starting experience and adds some reliability to the safety room. His Pro Football Focus coverage and run-defense grades last season were higher than those of Hicks, Conner, and veteran Mike Edwards. Gilman is also known as a smart player who can follow in the footsteps of guys like Justin Reid and Bryan Cook, who helped call the defense on the back end and can play both the run and the pass from down to down to keep opposing offenses guessing.
There is a chance that Gilman's play in Spagnuolo's system is close enough to that of Cook's last season that the $5 million in cap savings per season is a shrewd business move by Veach and the Chiefs. KC is known for getting the most out of their secondary, and Gilman seems like exactly the type of player who will thrive in the system and keep that tradition going.
Kader Kohou - Cornerback
Probably the least known and talked about of KC's three early defensive free agent signings is former Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou. Kohou is a former UDFA with Miami who became a valuable starter and very good nickel corner for the Dolphins before missing all of last season with an ACL tear. He was recently medically cleared to resume football activities, and if he is truly back to full health in time for next season, he could be an absolute steal. Kohou even made my 10 free agent cornerback targets for the Chiefs piece.
The fact that the contract details for Kohou are still not out even a couple of days after the signing was announced is likely a sign that the Chiefs got a very team-friendly deal done. NFL agents are quick to get numbers out to the media when they feel like they got their clients paid, so the fact that this hasn't happened points to this being a cheap "prove it" deal coming off of his injury.
If you go to any Miami Dolphins site or post about Kohou signing with the Chiefs, the reaction is almost 100% disappointment from Miami fans that they weren't able to keep him. That alone should point to this being a great pickup for the Chiefs. It also may sound crazy to imply that Kohou could upgrade the nickel corner spot from last season when KC had Trent McDuffie on the roster, who had made All-Pro based on his nickel play in previous seasons, but last year the Chiefs just didn't use him there much anymore, opting instead to play Chamarri Conner there and leave McDuffie outside.
While expecting Kohou to match McDuffie's play in the slot may be a bit much, his history says he will absolutely be a big upgrade over Conner, who played there most of last season. If Kohou is healthy, that will allow KC to upgrade their play in the slot while also allowing Conner to focus on safety (where he is better) and where they will need more depth with the departure of Bryan Cook. All around, this is another really smart and underrated signing.
While each of these signings is smart on its own, the combination of the three points toward a really smart approach by Brett Veach and the Chiefs front office. They are getting proven veteran starters to solidify their defense without having to pay premium free agent prices. Yes, they still need to add some more defensive pieces through additional free agent signings or the draft, but they've done well in the early free agency period even if the moves haven't generated a lot of buzz. Here's to hoping that Veach has a few more of these under-the-radar signings left in him before the draft rolls around so that he has even more freedom to just draft the most talented players regardless of position.