Khyiris Tonga sat through 249 picks on Day 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft before the Chicago Bears finally called. Four teams and five seasons later, the New England Patriots nose tackle will line up in Super Bowl 60 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Tonga admitted that he felt disappointed during the draft, but that phone call from the Bears launched a journey that’s taken him from a Chicago practice squad cut to Atlanta’s taxi squad to Minnesota’s roster to Arizona’s rotation to, finally, New England’s defensive front. He signed with the Patriots last March on a modest deal and has emerged as a run defense cornerstone, while occasionally lining up as a short-yardage blocker.
Khyiris Tonga Can’t Believe He’s Playing in the Super Bowl
Tonga’s reaction to reaching the Super Bowl captures exactly what this moment represents for players selected when most fans have stopped watching the broadcast.
Tonga’s pure, unfiltered response when asked about playing in his first Super Bowl tells the story better than any scouting report ever could.
“Over the moon, bro,” he told PFSN during Super Bowl Media Day. “Being here is amazing. It’s gonna be my first Super Bowl ever like not watching, so, to be here and to be able to be a part of it and to be able to play in the game is super unreal.”
The NFL’s roster churn makes Tonga’s path standard in some ways. Chicago cut him after his rookie season, Atlanta signed him to their practice squad, Minnesota claimed him off Atlanta’s taxi squad in October 2022, and he spent parts of two seasons with the Vikings before Arizona signed him in March 2024. That’s four organizations in four years before landing in Foxborough.
But here’s what separates Tonga’s story from the thousands of seventh-rounders who cycle through the league and disappear: he kept earning roles. His ability to control gaps against the run made him valuable enough for New England to trust him in their AFC Championship win over the Denver Broncos, and his playoff performance validated every team that gave him a chance.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel praised Tonga’s work ethic and on-field improvement, noting he doesn’t say much but shows up consistently and plays with physicality. That’s the profile teams bet on with late picks, hoping the trait-based projection translates as the player develops over time.
Tonga’s value extends beyond his listed position. He’s logged 14 offensive snaps this season, including appearances as a tackle-eligible blocker in jumbo packages where his 335-pound frame helps create push in short-yardage situations. In the AFC Championship, the Patriots used both Tonga and defensive tackle Milton Williams as eligible fullbacks on a critical fourth-and-1, with both linemen pushing to help Drake Maye convert.
When asked about the keys to stopping Seattle’s offense, including their rushing attack led by Kenneth Walker III, Tonga defaulted to the fundamentals that got him here.
“We just got to win our one-on-ones up front,” he told PFSN. “They love to run the ball, so we got to stop the run and just be able to strike and beat our man up front. We’re excited for the challenge that comes with it. We know they’ve got a good running back and they’ve got a good o-line that works really well together, so we’re excited for that, for sure.”
Determined to Prove He Belongs on Football’s Biggest Stage
During the draft process, analysts praised Tonga’s space-eating ability as a nose tackle coming out of BYU but projected him as a Day 3 selection due to his age, arm length, and hand size measurements. Those limitations don’t disappear in the pros.
What Tonga’s proved is that evaluation isn’t purely predictive. The traits that made him draftable proved refinable. The questions about his profile proved answerable through years of grinding on practice squads and fighting for snaps with teams looking for interior depth.
“It means a lot to be able to come out and just kind of prove myself,” Tonga said when asked about reaching the Super Bowl as a former seventh-rounder. “Prove that I belong and kind of just prove all of the people who were in my corner right. I take a lot of pride in being here, and I’m just super grateful.”
New England’s defensive line has been anchored by the big-money free agent Williams, who signed a substantial deal last offseason, but Tonga’s complementary role shows how teams build competitive rosters. Not every contributor costs premium capital or commands market-setting contracts.
The Patriots didn’t trade up to draft Tonga. They didn’t invest multiple years and millions to develop him. They signed him to a one-year, $2.7 million deal in March 2025 and plugged him into their rotation. He’s a bargain-bin find who has paid off.
Sunday’s matchup marks a rematch of Super Bowl 49, when Seattle lost to New England in heartbreaking fashion. For Tonga, the historical context matters less than the opportunity. The No. 250 pick gets to play for a championship after years of flying under the radar and working his butt off to earn a key role on football’s biggest stage.
