Kansas City’s Defensive Puzzle: How Draft Picks Could Revive Chiefs’ Pass Rush

The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2025 offseason with a defensive puzzle to solve. Despite a stellar 12-5 regular season and a third straight AFC Championship appearance, their 40-22 Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles exposed a critical weakness: an inconsistent pass rush. Ranking 14th in sacks (46) and 12th in pressure rate (33.1%) in 2024, the Chiefs struggled to disrupt elite quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts, who carved them up for 280 yards and three touchdowns. With the 2025 NFL Draft looming, General Manager Brett Veach is eyeing prospects like Walter Nolen (defensive tackle, Ole Miss) and Nic Scourton (edge rusher, Texas A&M) to revive Kansas City’s pass rush and restore their defensive dominance against AFC rivals like the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens.

The Chiefs’ defense in 2024 was a tale of contrasts. Under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, they ranked 10th in points allowed (17.3 per game) and third in interceptions (25), driven by All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney’s seven picks. However, the pass rush faltered in critical moments. Chris Jones, the linchpin with 8.5 sacks and a 15.3% pressure rate (Pro Football Focus), was double-teamed relentlessly, exposing a lack of complementary rushers. George Karlaftis added 6.5 sacks, but Mike Danna (6 sacks) and Felix Anudike-Uzomah (3 sacks) couldn’t consistently collapse pockets. The loss of Tershawn Wharton and Derrick Nnadi in free agency further thinned the interior, leaving Jones and Matt Dickerson as the primary defensive tackles. A post on X from April 15, 2025, by @ChiefsKingdomHQ lamented, “Jones needs help. Our pass rush got exposed in the Super Bowl.”

Enter the 2025 NFL Draft, set for April 24-26 in Green Bay, where Veach holds eight picks: Round 1 (31), Round 2 (63), Round 3 (95, 97), Round 4 (134), Round 5 (168), Round 6 (210), and Round 7 (252). Arrowhead Pride (April 15, 2025) reported that Veach is prioritizing defensive line upgrades, with Walter Nolen and Nic Scourton as top targets. These prospects could address the Chiefs’ pass-rush woes, which saw them manage just one sack on Hurts in Super Bowl LIX, per ESPN (February 10, 2025). By adding a disruptive interior force or a dynamic edge rusher, Kansas City aims to elevate a defense that allowed 227.1 passing yards per game (22nd in NFL).

Walter Nolen, a 6’3”, 300-pound defensive tackle, is a first-round candidate at pick 31. After a breakout 2024 at Ole Miss, Nolen recorded 6.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and two fumble recoveries, earning All-American honors. His 19.5% pass-rush win rate and 14.3% run-stop rate (PFF) highlight his ability to dominate one-on-one matchups. Chiefs Wire (April 11, 2025) compared Nolen to Jalen Carter, noting his “explosive first step and raw power” that resets the line of scrimmage. In a 2024 game against LSU, Nolen’s two sacks and three pressures showcased his pocket-collapsing potential. A mock draft by The Athletic (March 24, 2025) projected Veach trading up to No. 26 for Nolen, pairing him with Jones to draw attention away from the veteran star. A post on X from April 13, 2025, by @NFL_DraftBuzz called Nolen “a Chiefs dream pick,” predicting a 5-sack rookie season.

Nic Scourton, a 6’4”, 280-pound edge rusher, offers a Day 2 alternative. Scourton exploded for 10 sacks at Purdue in 2023 but dipped to 3.5 at Texas A&M in 2024 due to a scheme mismatch, per Yardbarker (April 15, 2025). His 14 tackles for loss and All-SEC nod underscore his versatility, with a refined spin move and tempo changes that dazzle on tape. Kansas City Star (March 31, 2025) reported that defensive line coach Joe Cullen scouted Scourton at Texas A&M’s Pro Day, signaling strong interest. Projected for Round 2 (pick 63), Scourton could be a steal if Veach trades down, as suggested by SI.com (April 15, 2025). His 82.6 PFF pass-rush grade at Purdue hints at top-20 potential, though his upright stance can weaken run defense, a concern for Spagnuolo’s gap-heavy scheme.

Veach’s draft flexibility is key. With $30 million in cap space, the Chiefs could absorb a trade-up for Nolen, potentially swapping pick 31 and a fourth-rounder for No. 25, per The Athletic (April 11, 2025). Alternatively, trading down to the early second round, as Arrowhead Pride (April 15, 2025) proposed, could net an extra third-rounder while securing Scourton. Veach’s history—trading for Trent McDuffie in 2022 and Xavier Worthy in 2024—shows his knack for maneuvering. A post on X from April 14, 2025, by @ChiefsAnalytics suggested a bold scenario: landing Nolen at 31 and Scourton at 63, creating a “pass-rush tsunami.”

Nolen’s fit is transformative. His bull rush and long-arm technique would force guards to respect him, reducing Jones’ double-team rate (28.4% in 2024). Chiefs Wire (April 11, 2025) projected Nolen adding 20-25 pressures as a rookie, boosting third-down stops (37.8%, 15th in NFL). However, his raw hand usage requires coaching, a challenge Cullen, who refined Danna’s 6-sack season, can tackle. Scourton, meanwhile, complements Karlaftis and Charles Omenihu (returning from ACL injury). His 2023 Purdue tape—12 pressures in a single game—suggests he could hit 5-7 sacks in 2025, per Yahoo Sports (April 14, 2025). His run-defense lapses, though, demand Spagnuolo’s gap discipline.

The Chiefs’ secondary, led by McDuffie and Chamarri Conner, mitigates pass-rush pressure, but losing Justin Reid exposed coverage depth (SI.com, April 10, 2025). The draft’s cornerback depth allows Veach to focus on the front seven, but a third-round safety like Keon Sabb could pair with McKinney. Offensively, Patrick Mahomes and Isiah Pacheco mask defensive lulls, but the pass rush’s 2.8-second average time-to-pressure (17th in NFL) let quarterbacks like Josh Allen escape. Nolen or Scourton could shave that to 2.5 seconds, per PFF analytics.

Risks abound. Nolen’s technical rawness could limit him to 50% snaps early, and his top-20 buzz (Bleacher Report, April 10, 2025) risks him being snatched by teams like the Eagles. Scourton’s 2024 dip raises red flags, and his run-defense issues could expose the Chiefs against run-heavy teams like the Ravens. Competition for both players is fierce—Philadelphia and Arizona visited Scourton (NBC Sports, April 11, 2025), while the 49ers eye Nolen. Spagnuolo’s coaching, however, is a trump card, having turned Karlaftis into a 10-sack player.

Chiefs Kingdom is abuzz. A post on X from April 12, 2025, by @KCChiefsFanatic declared, “Nolen or Scourton could make our D unstoppable.” SI.com (April 16, 2025) projected a 13-4 season if Nolen anchors the interior, pushing sacks past 50. Scourton, in a trade-down scenario, could add depth and 30 pressures, per Yahoo Sports (April 15, 2025). The AFC West, with Denver’s Bo Nix and the Chargers’ Justin Herbert, demands a fiercer front, and Veach’s draft could deliver. As the Green Bay draft nears, Nolen and Scourton hold the key to solving Kansas City’s defensive puzzle, setting the stage for a Super Bowl LX return.