Kansas City Chiefs: 5 Possible Options for Defensive Tackle in 2012

Heading into this offseason, one of the biggest holes on the Kansas City Chiefs' roster is at defensive tackle.

Veteran Kelly Gregg will likely not be retained by KC, and the Chiefs need to acquire an impact player at that position to help cover up a hole that has existed there for many years.

There are many players that Kansas City could use as their starting DT, including an in-house candidate in Jerell Powe or free agent Paul Soliai.

Here are five possible options that KC could go with at defensive tackle for the 2012 season.

Jerrell Powe

The former Ole Miss star was drafted by the Chiefs last year in hopes that he can one day become the future at the defensive tackle position.

So far, it's hard to tell if he is the right guy for the job or not.

He saw action in just one game during his rookie season and couldn't beat out aging DT Kelly Gregg for any playing time.

The one major attribute that he has going for him is that he is a very talented player. But can he become the force in the middle of this Kansas City defense in 2012 and beyond?

Paul Soliai

Miami's Paul Soliai appears to be one of the better free-agent DT options that will be out there for the Chiefs this offseason.

He should draw interest from KC, as he is one of the more underrated defensive tackles in the league today.

At 6'4", 355 lbs, Soliai would be a perfect fit for the starting nose tackle in the middle of Kansas City's defensive line next season.

If the Chiefs' brass believes that he would be a more viable option than drafting a rookie this year, then Soliai could be their man at DT.

Shaun Rogers

As of right now, I see veteran Shaun Rogers as being the least likely of these five players to fill the DT position for KC.

However, that doesn't mean that KC will not pursue him, since they did bring him in for a visit last year.

The former Texas Longhorn also had one of his best seasons of his career under current Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel when the two were together in Cleveland during the '08 season.

With Rogers playing for two different teams in the last two seasons, all he might need is a change of scenery to help improve his game, and Kansas City would provide that for him.

Dontari Poe

University of Memphis star Dontari Poe is one of the best DT prospects in this year's draft class.

He dominated at the combine last week, putting up an impressive 44 reps for the bench press.

At 6'4", 346 lbs, he already possesses NFL size for his position and is very quick off the line of scrimmage, which will really help him at the next level.

If KC elects to go the Poe route in April, there's a chance that they might not have to worry about the defensive tackle position for the next 10 years.

Alameda Ta'amu

Ta'amu is a very intriguing DT prospect in this year's draft.

He played his college ball at Washington and was the man in the middle on the Huskies' D-line.

The Kent, Washington, native is a little smaller than the other defensive tackle prospect on this list, Dontari Poe, but he was also quick off the snap and routinely gave interior offensive linemen fits when they went up against him.

He is likely the second best nose tackle that the Chiefs could go with next month, but he could turn out to be the smartest option if they decide to pass on Poe in the first round.