| No. 95 – New England Patriots | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Nose tackle | ||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1996-07-07)July 7, 1996 (age 29) West Valley City, Utah, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 335 lb (152 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Granger(West Valley City, Utah) | ||||||||||
| College | BYU (2017–2020) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2021: 7th round, 250th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Khyiris Tonga (KYE-riss;[1] born July 7, 1996)[2] is an American professionalfootballnose tackle for theNew England Patriots of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theBYU Cougars and was selected by theChicago Bears in the seventh round of the2021 NFL draft.[3]
Initially committed toUtah after high school, Tonga flipped toBYU after former Oregon State defensive coordinatorKalani Sitake was named the Cougars' head coach while Tonga was serving his two-year mission.[4]
After a strong junior season where he made 45 tackles, Tonga was expected to be an NFL draft prospect, but announced he would return for his senior season.[5][6]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft2+1⁄8 in (1.88 m) | 325 lb (147 kg) | 31 in (0.79 m) | 9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 5.07 s | 1.74 s | 2.89 s | 4.73 s | 7.83 s | 28.0 in (0.71 m) | 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) | 35 reps | |
| All values fromPro Day[7][8][9] | ||||||||||||
Tonga was praised by draft analysts for his ability to eat up space as a nose tackle, but was expected to be a day three prospect due to his age, short arms, and below-average hand size.[10][11]
Tonga was selected by theChicago Bears in the seventh round, 250th overall, of the2021 NFL draft.[12] On June 2, 2021, Tonga signed his four-year rookie contract with Chicago.[13] He was waived by the Bears on August 31, 2022.[14]
On September 5, 2022, Tonga was signed to thepractice squad of theAtlanta Falcons.[15]
On October 5, 2022, Tonga was signed by theMinnesota Vikings off the Falcons practice squad.[16]
On March 15, 2024, Tonga signed with theArizona Cardinals.[17] He played in 13 games with one start, recording 22 tackles.
On March 14, 2025, Tonga signed a one-year, $2.7 million contract with theNew England Patriots.[18]
Before enrolling at BYU, Tonga served atwo-year mission forthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints inWichita, Kansas.[19]
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