There are a lot of new faces in the AFC West on the interior defensive lines. Some teams did almost complete overhauls of their interior defensive line group, leaving some question marks. This is how they stack up.
1. Chiefs – Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi
Chris Jones is easily the best interior defensive lineman in the division. The three-time Pro Bowler has averaged double-digit sacks over the past four seasons and his nine sacks last season is more than any current interior lineman duo combined. Nnadi is the run-stuffing nose tackle who added three sacks of his own.
2. Broncos – DJ Jones, Dre’mont Jones
The Jones’s look like a pretty solid duo in Denver. Dre’Mont has averaged six sacks over the past two seasons and added 16 tackles for loss as well. DJ comes over from San Francisco where he was the full-time starter the past three seasons. He racked up a career-high in tackles last season with 56 combined (40 solo) including ten for a loss.
3. Chargers – Austin Johnson, Sebastian Joseph-Day
The Chargers overhauled their defensive tackle rotation, bringing in Johnson from the Giants and Joseph-Day from the other locker room at the LA stadium. Johnson is coming off his first ever seasons as a full-time starter, so naturally, he put up career-high numbers.
His 72 tackles is absurd. Joseph-Day has been a starter the past three seasons with the Rams, where he has put up decent numbers in the shadow of Aaron Donald. He’ll go about trying to perform without Donald occupying double teams all game long.
4. Raiders – Bilal Nichols, Jonathan Hankins
Nichols comes over from Chicago where he was a versatile tackle, playing three different interior positions over the past three seasons. He gets some good pressure with eight sacks and 22 QB hits over the past two seasons. Last season he put up a career-high 51 tackles as well.
From the outset he doesn’t appear to be an upgrade over the rotation they had last season. Hankins returns as the steady presence at nose tackle. He is coming off his worst season in three years in terms of combined tackles (38), tackles for loss (one), QB hits (two), and sacks (zero).