The Kansas City Chiefs have the best defensive tackle in the NFL, according to a new ESPN list. Chris Jones is taking Aaron Donald’s place on the top of the network’s roster of best 10 players at defensive tackle. The company polled coaches, scouts and executives to help compile this list of top 10 players at several different team positions.
“His size and consistent dominant effort is just so hard to block,” an NFL executive said of Jones, per ESPN. “He’s such a mismatch because of how long and strong he is, and he can win from every spot — edge, over center, in the B gap.”
Jones holds the no. 1 spot for various reasons, but his pass rushing ability is a true highlight. The outlet reports that Jones ranks first in the 2024 field in pass rush win rate for defensive tackles (19.6%). Jones also forced 29 incompletions last season and that ranked tied for second among defensive tackles, per ESPN.
The defensive juggernaut is also great at knocking down the opposing quarterback. Jones has 35 sacks in the last three years, per ESPN. That’s tops for any defensive tackle in the NFL.
Expectations are certainly high for Jones with this type of ranking. He is arguably the best defensive tackle in the league, with Aaron Donald’s retirement. Donald announced he was hanging up his cleats after the 2023 campaign with the Los Angeles Rams. Donald finished his career with more than 500 tackles.
Jones will get a chance to show he is worthy of this ranking, while playing for the Chiefs this season. He is tasked with helping to lead the defense to another Super Bowl appearance. The Chiefs have three Super Bowl championships in the last 6 years. Jones has been a vital part of all three teams. He has been a mainstay on the defensive line since the 2016 season for Kansas City. The team drafted him in the second round of the 2016 draft.
The defensive lineman has won several honors since his time started in the NFL. He is a 5-time Pro Bowler, with 273 career tackles. He has been a monster, with 75.5 career sacks. He has recorded at least 10 sacks in the last two seasons. That tenacious defense has also helped Jones earn two First-Team All-Pro selections. Jones also has recorded sacks in 11 consecutive games, which is an NFL record. That’s truly incredible.
The Chiefs made a significant commitment to Jones this past season. The defensive tackled signed a new contract with the team, making a guaranteed $95 million over the next five seasons. There were a number of NFL teams that wanted him, so the Chiefs made some significant strides in keeping their core group of players together. The team is certainly considered a contender to win the Super Bowl again this coming season.
Time will tell if Jones is truly the best defensive tackle in football, but it certainly seems that way heading into the 2024 campaign.