2026 Projected KC Chiefs Defensive Starters Pre-Draft

Our defensive scheme is a 4 - 3 (4 Down Linemen, and 3 Linebackers) base 7 man front with a 1 gap Under Front alignment (Defensive Line shifts to the weakside, and the Strong Side Outside Linebacker moves up on the line of scrimmage. That makes the defense look like a 5-2 with 43 personnel. Sometimes, the Strong or Free Safety will drop down close to the line of scrimmage, and the defense becomes an eight-man front, or what’s known as the 46 (Brian Dawkins in Philadelphia, and now Alohi Gilman in KC). Now everybody in the NFL does a little bit of everything because it’s the pros and a copycat league. But our defensive coordinator comes from the Jim Johnson tree (‘99 – ‘08 with the Philadelphia Eagles) and prefers a 2 High Safety alignment with Press Man Coverage, mixed in with Man Blitzes, Double-A Gap Blitzes, and Zone Blitzes depending on the situation also.

2026 Projected KC Chiefs Defensive Starters in my opinion before the draft:

LDE: George Karlaftis
LDT: Chris Jones
RDT:  Khyiris Tonga
RDE: Ashton Gillotte
LOLB (SLB): Cooper McDonald
MLB: Nick Bolton
ROLB (WLB): Drue Tranquill
LCB (CB1): Nohl Williams
RCB (CB2): Kristian Fulton
CB3: Kader Kohou
SS: Chamarri Connor
FS: Alohi Gilman

In the Nickel (5 DBs) against a spread offense, take out Cooper McDonald, and replace with a Slot Corner. Kader Kohou.

In Dime (6 DBs), take out Cooper McDonald, and Drue Tranquill. Add another Safety, Chris Roland-Wallace, along with Kader Kohou.

Much like the offense, the defense was average at best. It became incredibly predictable. We lost so many people in free agency that we need bodies to fill up the other 23 through 53 people on the roster.

We really need to hit on this draft to stay competitive not only across the league, but 1^st in the division. Which I haven’t said in quite some time. For the 1^st time since Andy Reid’s been in Kansas City. We are looking up at the Chargers and Broncos in the AFC West.