The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping to keep their dynasty alive for a few more seasons, and that will require succession plans for some of their superstar players.
Obviously, Travis Kelce won’t be around much longer. It seems likely the legendary tight end’s 2025 season will be his last, and the Chiefs are likely well aware that they’ll soon need a new go-to pass-catcher at his position.
However, the Chiefs might not be thinking quite as far ahead with defensive tackle Chris Jones. The six-time Pro Bowler, who turns 31 in July, has put together a remarkable stretch of dominance, but in the NFL, those stretches can end quickly.
If the Chiefs have the chance to draft a perfect replacement for Jones, they should take it. But one NFL writer believes they should take things a step further by trading up 12 spots in the first round this April.
In a recent article, FanSided’s Matthew Chabot proposed that the Chiefs could package their first, second, and seventh-round picks in this year’s draft to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to move up to the 19th-overall pick, then predicted Kansas City would take Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant with that selection.
Grant, a 6-foot-3, 340-pound freak athlete, could eventually become an elite pass-rusher, as Jones is now. As it stands, he’s a heck of a run-stopper who did manage three sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss at Michigan this season.
“The biggest need for the Chiefs this offseason is adding a run-stuffing defensive tackle who can play next to Chris Jones. Grant is an elite run-stuffer who is the last guy you want to leave one-on-one on the interior of the line,” Chabot wrote.
“Teams won’t be able to double team both Grant and Jones, and the two of them on the field will be a handful for defensive coaches looking to hold them down.”
With the loss of Tershawn Wharton, Grant could step right into a starting role alongside Jones from day one. He’d learn valuable lessons from the Chiefs legend, while eventually preparing to succeed him as the team’s alpha on the interior.
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