The Kansas City Chiefs are still waiting for defensive lineman Charles Omenihu to return from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. While Kansas City's defense has bordered on elite, Omenihu likely won't return until November. So, with the NFL trade deadline looming, could the Chiefs grab a pass-rushing threat from one of the league's worst teams? That dishonor goes to the New England Patriots. If they're interested in selling, one NFL analytics expert suggests Kansas City could try to grab linebacker Joshua Uche from New England.

“Kansas City could use Uche to sub in for Mike Danna in passing situations and ought to get a lot more disruption as a result,” ESPN's Seth Walder wrote. “Danna has a 4.4% pass rush win rate at the edge, while Uche is off to a scorching start with a 24.1% pass rush win rate. Back in 2022, Uche had an 18.5% pressure rate — the highest for any player in an entire season in ESPN's dataset (back to 2017). Uche is also cheap, which helps a lot in this case because Kansas City is tight against the salary cap.”

What could Joshua Uche bring to the table for the Chiefs?

New England Patriots linebacker Joshua Uche (55) leaves the field after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium.
Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images
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Meanwhile, Uche failed to replicate his 11.5 sacks in 2022. He had three last year in 15 games. This year, he has two in seven games. Regardless, Uche remains an intriguing pass-rush threat. However, he's logged just one pressure in New England's last two games and has 13 on the year. His Pro Football Focus pass rush grade of 72.7 ranks 31st among 183 edge players. Combined with his pass rush win rate, it gives him an excellent skillset to complement the Chiefs on defense.

Moreover, Uche will be cheap, a welcome addition for a cash-strapped Kansas City squad. Uche is on an affordable one-year contract with some incentives, but it will only be a $1.3 million cap hit. The Chiefs got De'Andre Hopkins on the cheap. That happened when the Tennessee Titans absorbed $2.5 million of Hopkins's contract. So, although Uche is affordable, Kansas City can always work with New England if they want Uche.

Advanced stats suggest that Uche would be a stellar fit with the Chiefs. Uche's an exciting player, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can empower Kansas City to be even scarier on defense. Kansas City could land Uche if he didn’t cost more than a late Day 3 pick. He's a player worth keeping tabs on, especially with the NFL trade deadline looming.