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The Kansas City Chiefs are prioritizing the defensive front ahead of the impending NFL trade deadline.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the reigning AFC champions are hunting an upgrade along the defensive line while they still can, with the end of this year’s trade window coming on Tuesday, November 4.
“The Chiefs have been actively searching for defensive line help,” Russini wrote Saturday.
Meanwhile, per Bill Barnwell of ESPN on Thursday, the Dallas Cowboys are shopping defensive tackle Kenny Clark — the sole player the Green Bay Packers sent to Texas, alongside two first-round picks, in the blockbuster preseason trade of superstar edge-rusher Micah Parsons.
Kenny Clark Can Offer Chiefs Significant Upgrade Over Derrick Nnadi
GettyNose tackle Kenny Clark, formerly of the Green Bay Packers.
Clark is a three-time Pro Bowler who remains an above-average pass-rusher up the middle, despite his run defense declining over each of the past two seasons.
Heading into Week 9, Clark has tallied 23 quarterback pressures, 19 hurries and two sacks. His Pro Football Focus pass-rush grade is 68.8, which ranks him 34th out of 128 players who have played enough snaps to qualify at the position. His run defense grade is 46.0, however, which slots in at 101st.
Still, the 30-year-old defensive tackle represents a meaningful upgrade over Chiefs defender Derrick Nnadi, who ranks dead last in overall grade for qualifying interior players and is 123rd out of 128 against the run.
“The Chiefs have a need on the edge, but a bigger need might be an upgrade on Derrick Nnadi, who is last among qualifying defensive tackles with a 13.2% run stop win rate,” Aaron Schatz of ESPN wrote October 29. “He also has a 0% pass rush win rate, though he plays only a handful of clear pass-play snaps per game.”
Thus, adding Clark would significantly improve Kansas City’s interior run defense, even if not to an elite level. He can also help mitigate the edge need for more pass rush by teaming up with superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones and allowing the Chiefs to create more quarterback pressure up the middle.
Given Clark’s age and play trajectory, per the advanced metrics, the Chiefs could probably procure him from the Cowboys for something in the neighborhood of a fourth- or fifth-round draft pick in 2026.
Chiefs Also Potentially in Market for Running Back Ahead of NFL Trade Deadline
Another position to which the Chiefs may explore adding is that of running back.
“Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt aren’t moving the needle in the offensive backfield for a Chiefs team that is clearly all-in right now,” Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report wrote Friday.
Barnwell named running back Aaron Jones as one of the Minnesota Vikings’ notable trade candidates given his contract situation and the emergence of Jordan Mason during Jones’ protracted absence with a hamstring injury earlier this season.
Jones is an accomplished and experienced back who could serve in a third-down role for the Chiefs as a competent pass-catcher and pass-blocker. Kansas City could probably acquire him for a Day 3 draft asset and would only be on the hook for roughly $3 million in salary over the remainder of the season.
