The Kansas City Chiefs have been an offensive wagon in recent years. QB Patrick Mahomes and TE Travis Kelce have teamed up to dominate the NFL and win a pair of Super Bowls (so far).

Does the Kansas City defense get enough credit? Has it historically gotten enough credit? The franchise has a proud history of Hall of Fame defenders, and we’re going to rank some of them in this Betway insider top 10.

As usual, all stats and references are courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and are updated through the end of the 2023 regular season.

Who are the Kansas City Chiefs starting defensive line for the 2023 NFL season?

The starting defensive lineman for the Chiefs 2023 defense includes DTs Chris Jones and Derrick Nnadi alongside DEs George Karlaftis and Mike Danna. They helped the Chiefs' defense rank fifth in DVOA this season.

Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Line History

Chiefs’ defensive players' history starts with their defensive linemen. Notable Chiefs defensive linemen include OLB Derrick Thomas and DT Buck Buchanan, both in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Famous Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Players

Other famous cogs in the Chiefs starting defense include defensive backs like S Deron Cherry and CB Emmitt Thomas.

Ranking the Top 10 Greatest Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Players of all time

  1. Justin Houston, 2011-2018

Position: Linebacker

No, current Dolphins OLB Justin Houston was not a regular First-team All-Pro and is not a future Hall of Famer. He spent eight years in Kansas City and racked up the fourth most sacks in franchise history, as well as cracking four Pro Bowl teams in the process.

Houston is on this list for one season: his 22.0 sacks in 2014 are tied for the second-most by any player in a 16-game season. This tally was double Houston’s career-high and he’s never sniffed that mark in any other campaign, but 22 sacks is 22 sacks. Oh, and somehow Kansas City missed the playoffs that year.

  1. Eric Berry, 2010-2018

Position: Safety

Eric Berry had quite the career. The former fifth pick in the 2010 draft was an immediate hit, earning Pro Bowl honors his rookie year -- the first of five for the safety.

Berry was on top of the world following the 2013 season. He just made his maiden First-team All-Pro squad and helped the Chiefs march back into the playoffs under new HC Andy Reid. Then, tragically, Berry was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Remarkably, Berry was back on the field in 2015, earning NFL Comeback Player of the Year and returning to an All-Pro level. Injuries stunted the end of his career after 2016, and unfortunately missed out on all of the playoff success with new QB Patrick Mahomes.

  1. Deron Cherry, 1981-1991

Position: Safety

Deron Cherry has an impressive claim to fame. He tied the NFL record by intercepting Seattle QB Dave Krieg FOUR TIMES in ONE GAME back in 1985. The ball-hawking safety picked off seven or more passes in a season five different times.

These numbers made Cherry the safety of the decade, netting him a spot on the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade team. Oh, he was also a 3-time First-team All-Pro, 2-time Second-team All-Pro, and 6-time Pro Bowler. He even added three interceptions in two 1991 playoff games.

  1. Chris Jones, 2016-Present

Position: Defensive Line

It seemed like the Chiefs and the All-Pro defensive linemen were headed for a divorce this offseason, but the team submitted a last-minute, one-year deal that allowed the star to play 16 games in Kansas City in 2023. Like ever, they needed him.

Still just 29 years old at the time of writing, Jones is arguably the second-best defensive lineman of his generation (behind only Rams DT Aaron Donald). He had his second First-team All-Pro campaign, his fifth Pro Bowl season in 2023, and brought his career sack tally to 75.5. Jones is already a 2-time Super Bowl champion who’s ready to win another in Kansas City.

Jones is still a key cog on the Chiefs defensive roster today.

  1. Willie Lanier, 1967-1977

Position: Middle Linebacker

Willie Lanier is considered one of the greatest middle linebackers in NFL history. The Super Bowl champion is a 3-time First-team All-Pro selection and 8-time Pro-Bowler, even receiving down-ballot MVP votes (rare for an MLB). This is  not surprising as he was a key cog in the Chiefs rushing defense.

Lanier was recognized for his greatness with not just a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but also as a member of the NFL’s 50th and 75th Anniversary All-time teams.

  1. Johnny Robinson, 1960-1971

Position: Safety

Oh look, another Chiefs Hall of Famer from the AFL days! This time it’s safety Johnny Robinson, arguably the premier ball-hawk of his generation. Robinson started his career as a semi-successful running back for the Dallas Texans before moving to safety full-time by 1962.

Robinson led the league in interceptions twice (1966, 1970), picking off a staggering 10 passes on each occasion. He’s a member of the All-AFL team and was a 5-time First-team All-AFL selection.

  1. Buck Buchanan, 1963-1975

Position: Defensive Tackle

The next legendary AFL Chief is DT Buck Buchanan, who was the first pick in the 1963 AFL draft by Kansas City. He was a consistent presence in one of the best defenses the sport has ever seen, not missing a single game over the course of his 13-year career.

Buchanan was a 6-time First-team All-AFL selection and is a member of the AFL All-time Team. The award for the best defensive lineman of the NCAA Division I subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) is known as the Buck Buchanan Award. Former NFL All-Pro Jared Allen won the award in 2003.

  1. Emmitt Thomas, 1966-1978

Position: Cornerback

From one ball-hawk to another, next on the list is Emmitt Thomas. Thomas made his bones a bit earlier than Cherry, joining the team in the AFL era as an undrafted rookie in 1966. All Thomas did after that was:

  • Win Super Bowl IV
  • Most interceptions in Chiefs history
  • Made 2 First-team All-Pro teams, 5 Pro Bowls
  • 1-time NFL interceptions leader, 1-time AFL interceptions leader
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame
  1. Bobby Bell, 1963-1974

Position: Outside Linebacker

Bobby Bell is one of just two Kansas City defenders to take home the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award (1969). This came during a stretch of five-straight All-AFL selections for Bell from 1965-1969 (he was also a First-team All-Pro in 1970).

The funny thing is, Bell got even better with age. He was a member of the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade team and helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl IV. The Pro Football Hall of Famer is also a member of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary team.

  1. Derrick Thomas, 1989-1999

Position: Linebacker

Why is the late Derrick Thomas the greatest Chiefs defensive player of all time? Here’s why:

  • Most sacks in Chiefs history (126.5)
  • 2-time First-team All-Pro, 9-time Pro Bowler
  • NFL 1990s All-Decade team, Pro Football Hall of Famer
  • Most sacks in one NFL game (7)
  • 7 seasons of 10+ sacks
  • Widely popular amongst Chiefs fans

Thomas tragically died in January of 2020.

Parameters of Rankings

Rankings are made based on a combination of 1) individual accomplishments, 2) team success, 3) franchise legacy, and 4) personal accolades.

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