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Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo.

The Kansas City Chiefs had a clear goal to get younger and more athletic on defense during the 2026 NFL Draft.

Each of their first four picks — cornerbacks Mansoor Delane and Jadon Canady, defensive lineman Peter Woods, defensive end R Mason Thomas — were defensive players. All of them project to have significant roles as rookies.

Kansas City Chiefs RB Coach DeMarco Murray Helped Sell R Mason Thomas on DC Steve Spagnuolo

Several Chiefs assistant coaches spoke to the media following Wednesday’s OTA practice. Spagnuolo was among them, and he was asked why Thomas appealed to him since Thomas doesn’t fit the typical mold of what he typically deploys at defensive end.

“What is that mold?” Spagnuolo joked. “I’d like to think I just like good football players. They don’t all come in one molded size. R Mason is not a tall, long guy, but the thing that stuck out to Brett (Chiefs general manager Brett Veach) and myself and all the scouts is his get-off. He’s got a little bit of juice to him, which I think any defense wants and needs that.”

Spagnuolo went on to say that Murray — who has spent the last six years in the college ranks as the Oklahoma Sooners running backs coach — vouched for Thomas, who played for Oklahoma from 2022-2025.

“What was really good was having insight from DeMarco Murray,” Spagnuolo said. “Anytime we’re grabbing these guys from college and you don’t have insight on what you can see on film, I always think it’s a little bit risky. But, DeMarco was great in sharing what he thought about R Mason, and it all came true.”

Spagnuolo usually likes his defensive ends to be big and powerful, which is not Thomas’ game. However, he does play with underrated strength, and will be bringing some much-needed speed to the Chiefs’ defensive line. Spagnuolo clearly believes Thomas can hold up strength-wise, which combined with his speed could make for a great edge player.

Chiefs’ Defensive Line Poised for Big Improvement in 2026

Kansas City parted ways with old, slow veterans such as Derrick Nnadi, Mike Pennel, Mike Danna, and Charles Omenihu during the offseason. Those guys have been replaced with Thomas, Woods, Khyiris Tonga, and Omarr Norman-Lott — who missed most of his rookie season in 2025 with a torn ACL.

Fifth-year defensive end George Karlaftis should also be improved in 2026. It was recently revealed that he had surgery on his right hand during the Chiefs’ bye week in 2025, which explains his lack of production. Karlaftis recorded just one sack during his final seven games following the surgical procedure.

Thomas and Karlaftis should complement each other well as bookends edge rushers. Like Thomas, Woods will bring more speed and athleticism to the defensive line. Rotating with Tonga, Norman-Lott, and Chris Jones should keep the unit fresh. If everyone can become a threat, Jones should see less double-teams and get back to putting up a higher sack total. Things should also open up more for Karlaftis as well.

Nick Roesch Nick Roesch covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, with a focus on the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Chargers. He previously covered the Chiefs for USA TODAY Sports’ Chiefs Wire, and all 32 NFL teams for A to Z Sports. Roesch’s career in sports media spans 10 years. More about Nick Roesch