Throughout the Kansas City Chiefs‘ establishment of a dynasty, their offense has received plenty of praise. That’s more than justified, as the trio of Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce is a generational group.
The defense shouldn’t be overlooked, though. In recent years, it’s been cemented as a very reliable unit. It’s no coincidence that the Chiefs keep winning despite the offense taking a dip. 2023 and 2024 saw the defense remain tremendous, and one analyst is giving Steve Spagnuolo his flowers.
In a story for NFL Media, deputy editor Gennaro Filice ranked his top 10 defenses for 2025. Not only did Kansas City make the cut, but Filice has them occupying the No. 5 spot.
Chiefs’ 2 Defensive Superstars Fuel Top Ranking
The ranking, which is based on true defensive scoring, shouldn’t come as a surprise. This is what the Chiefs thrive at. In a football world where situational play is as important as ever, bending but not breaking is a valid process.
Nowadays, however, Kansas City doesn’t even bend. Spagnuolo’s attack is downright suffocating at times. Filice writes that the proficiency stems from superstar-level players like defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback Trent McDuffie.
“Ranking second in 2023 and sixth in ’24 in defensive points allowed, the unit consistently keeps the team in games and allows Mahomes to work his magic at winning time,” Filice wrote. “Everything revolves around the big man up front, Chris Jones. The 6-foot-6, 310-pounder wanders all over the defensive front as a roving nightmare with a penchant for game-wreckage in the biggest spots. Kansas City has another elite defender in Trent McDuffie, an inside/outside cover man who plays a brand of football that’s as cerebral as it is physical, endearing him to every coach he comes across.”
Both Jones and McDuffie truly are the straws that stir the drink on defense. Even after his play slipped a bit last season, Jones remains a premier interior pass rusher. His ability to hunt matchups and occupy double-teams is second to almost no one. McDuffie, finally voted by his peers as a top-10 player, is a human chess piece. The league loves his versatility. Without McDuffie or Jones, the Chiefs aren’t the Chiefs.
Kansas City’s 3-Headed Monster at Linebacker Deserves Respect
Two players don’t make a defense, of course, no matter how good they are. Filice knows that, as he tipped his cap to general manager Brett Veach for the job he’s done. Despite losing safety Justin Reid and defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton this offseason, Veach went back to the well and found more talent. Filice notes spring moves that “helped the secondary and interior D-line.”
The middle of the defense also deserves respect. That’s exactly what Filice gave it, praising the trio of Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill and Leo Chenal.
“While the Chiefs boast a supreme talent on the first and third levels of the defense, the second level is the unit’s most complete, with a talented trio of linebackers,” Filice wrote. “Nick Bolton just became one of the highest-paid LBs in the league, Leo Chenal’s an athletic enforcer on the rise, and Drue Tranquill is a rangy veteran with useful skills against the run and pass.”
Bolton, an on-field coach, is regarded as one of the best linebackers in the sport. Tranquill is a rangy off-speed pitch to Bolton, and Chenal emerged as a massive weapon on special teams last season while also improving his consistency on defense. That three-headed monster gives the Chiefs a bit of everything.
Variety is the spice of life, as they say. Fortunately for Spagnuolo, he has plenty of it in the best of ways.
