I guess you could hang tongs and other tools off of them, but only when the lid was closed.
The other thing those rails are good for is to elevate another charcoal grate. Attach them to the regular charcoal grate, then set another charcoal grate on top, and you can raise your coals to right underneath the cooking grate. Which is my current favorite way to sear steaks, or to cook sweet corn in the husks. The radiant heat the coals deliver to the food is incredible.