In the defensive trenches for the Kansas City Chiefs, veterans like tackle Chris Jones have been leading the way under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. However, when seasoned players like Mike Danna and Charles Omenihu departed this offseason, along with tackles Derrick Nnadi and Mike Pennel, Jones was left as the only “unc” remaining.
Second-year defensive end Ashton Gillotte can feel the difference. During his press conference on Wednesday, he pointed out the different feelings in the locker
room compared to last season.
“It’s good to have people around my age,” Gillotte said to reporters. “Last year, I didn’t really have a defensive end until the end of the year that was my age, so you can joke around a little bit more, be a little bit more loose, it’s less big brothery, where now I can actually rough up with them rather than just be like ‘yeah man, how is it going, what do I need to do.’”
“It will show up on the field,” Gillotte assured after the comedic tone. “We’re more cohesive, more tight.”
Later, Jones was asked about the youth movement in his own press conference, laughing off the implication by a reporter that Jones was “old.”
“For me, I use it as motivational points,” Jones said. “They’re younger, might be a little faster also, but the mental aspect, I try to stay sharp on.”
“I think it’s fun when you have a lot of young guys that are hungry,” Jones admitted later. “I think it’s a challenge accepted, and I’m looking forward to playing with those guys.”
One of the youngest players up front will be Jones’ running mate at tackle. Peter Woods, a first-round pick, is hoping to have a similar career arc as Jones, defying the lack of sacks in college to become a real pass-rush threat in the NFL.
“He’s a big guy, he’s strong,” Jones described of Woods. “He’s a young bull, he’s got so much potential, his skillset is still improving. It’s good to get that type of talent in the building. We can utilize him in a lot of ways, he played end, he played nose, he also played three-technique, so that versatility, we definitely can utilize it in the schematics of Spags’ defense.”
Woods’ weight is a point of contention, another similarity to Jones when he was selected in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State. At Clemson, Woods was asked to slim down for the 2025 season, which led to a drop-off in efficiency as a pass rusher.
Last week, defensive line coach Joe Cullen was confident with Woods’ weight, but Jones offered a long-term perspective on the weight Woods could end up playing at, drawing from his experience of shaping his physique as a professional athlete.
“It helps with the physical aspect of being healthy and not carrying so much on the knees, the body throughout a long season,” Jones said. “Because the body eventually starts to feel [it], the knees start to get heavy. For me, it was about being in the best shape I could be. I wanted to be 85 to 90% of the plays, and in order for me to get that or achieve that goal, I had to lose a little weight and keep it down.”
It takes strong willpower for Jones to maintain the ability to play all three downs all game, something he still is capable of when it’s necessary.
“I’m a big boy, I like to eat,” Jones admitted. “It’s easy for me to gain five pounds. I can go to the cafeteria now and eat two burgers with turkey bacon on them, three bags of chips, put a bag of chips on each burger; it can get crazy fast, so I can critique a few things.”
Regardless of Woods’ weight — or Jones’, who pleaded for NFL Madden 27 to adjust his weight from 315 to his current number of 295 — there is only one number that the Chiefs’ defensive line is focused on changing through the 2026 season.
“We have to get more sacks,” Jones emphasized. “Last year, we were at the bottom of the totem pole in sacks, and it affected the defense tremendously. We want this defense to be a success… we have to get more sacks.”
