Kansas City Chiefs 2023 Roster Preview: Defensive Ends Entering Training Camp

Gone are the days in which the Chiefs rely heavily on grizzled veterans on the edge of Steve Spagnuolo's defensive line.

Dec 3, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; Kansas State Wildcats defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah (91) in action during the game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Kansas State Wildcats at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs finished second in the NFL with 55 sacks in 2022, cementing their status as a defense to monitor under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and defensive line coach Joe Cullen. While 15.5 of those sacks came from defensive tackle Chris Jones, the team's defensive end rotation also emerged as a formidable group.

With all of that said, changes were clearly on the horizon when Carlos Dunlap (34 years old) and Frank Clark (who turned 30 in June) walked via free agency and weren't retained by the club. General manager Brett Veach showed a year ago that a youth movement of sorts was in the cards for the entire roster, and that certainly applied — and currently applies — to edge-rushers.

As 2023 Chiefs training camp comes into focus, Arrowhead Report will be previewing each of the team's position groups. This precedes a roster projection once training camp is in full swing, allowing for in-depth analysis and observations of the roster general manager Brett Veach has put together. The series continues with defensive ends.

The starters: George Karlaftis and Charles Omenihu

A first-round pick in last year's NFL Draft, Karlaftis got off to a slow start as a rookie but closed out the regular season with 15 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and 5.5 sacks over the course of his last seven games. The Purdue product was on the field for 64% of the club's defensive snaps as a rookie, and he'll likely be expected to accept an even larger role on defense in year No. 2. Omenihu, who was picked up on a two-year deal in free agency, logged 54 pressures in 2022 with the San Francisco 49ers and projects to be the other starter opposite Karlaftis.

The backups: Mike Danna and Felix Anudike-Uzomah

For a fifth-round pick, Danna sure has carved out a very productive career thus far. He's coming off a 2022 season that saw him notch a career-high five sacks and as he enters a contract year, he'll have every incentive to continue flashing as a pass-rusher while also making the most of his snaps as a run defender. Anudike-Uzomah, the hometown kid, was selected in the first round of this year's draft and brings an athletic element with plenty of upside to the defensive end group. He likely won't be counted on to produce in a major way as a rookie, which is a plus. 

The intriguing pieces: BJ Thompson, Joshua Kaindoh, Malik Herring and Truman Jones

Kaindoh and Herring have been around the Chiefs organization for multiple years now, yet neither has been able to separate from the pack very much. With the team having drafted the uber-athletic Thompson in round five of April's draft and Jones having a very impactful career at Harvard, the two veterans of this tier are on notice. Throughout camp and the preseason, expect there to be plenty of healthy competition between these four pass-rushers. 

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