The Chiefs made yet another Super Bowl appearance last year, but could not complete the elusive three-peat. The offensive line was dominated by the Eagles in the blowout loss, leading many to predict that’s where the Chiefs will concentrate in the 2025 NFL Draft.
KC has made five Super Bowl appearances in the last six seasons, so it’s rinse and repeat. How will their 2025 NFL draft help them make another run?
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Overall Chiefs Draft Grade: A-
The Kansas City Chiefs are as well-oiled a machine as any of the 32 organizations. With Andy Reid and Brett Veach entering their ninth year as a coach-GM partnership, it’s no surprise to see that the Chiefs were well in-tune with their roster needs, snatching up values that should give Kansas City ever opportunity to reach its sixth Super Bowl in seven seasons.
Getting Josh Simmons with the final pick of Round 1 was almost too predictable of a coup. Many teams couldn’t afford the risk Simmons brought after tearing his patellar tendon last year, but the Chiefs already signed Jaylon Moore in free agency to serve as the starting left tackle.
If Moore works out, he can shift to right tackle to replace Jawaan Taylor next year when Simmons is ready for a full-time role. If not, Simmons can replace Moore and shore up a persistent weakness for the Chiefs in the Patrick Mahomes era.
The defense got plenty of help on Day 2 via a trio of defenders. Omar Norman-Lott and Ashton Gillotte might be limited to passing downs, but both can contribute right away. Kansas City has been overly reliant on Chris Jones and George Karlaftis to carry the pass rush in recent seasons. The rookies give the Chiefs an opportunity to have a bonafide pass rushing rotation, which is particularly important as Jones ages.
On Day 3, fourth-round WR Jalen Royals and fifth-round LB Jeffrey Bassa will be two of the more highly reviewed picks. Both had reasonable chances to go on Day 2, making them excellent values at that stage of the draft.
Royals gives the Chiefs a potential X receiver, which is a hole on the roster after DeAndre Hopkins departed in free agency. Bassa is a rangy linebacker who has plus coverage skills due to his background as a safety. It’s easy to imagine him becoming a sub-package weapon for Steve Spagnuolo.
The Chiefs don’t necessarily need any of their rookies to occupy huge roles right away, so the payoff for this class might not come in 2025. But for the Chiefs’ dynasty to sustain itself, consistently hitting on contributors on rookie contracts is a must. The early reviews suggest this class has a strong chance at producing multiple contributors to keep Mahomes contending for Super Bowls into his 30s.
Grades for Every Chiefs Draft Pick
- Round 1, Pick 32
Josh Simmons, OT | Ohio State
Grade: A+
The Chiefs have always excelled at playing the board, and that’s no different this year. After moving back a spot and adding a mid-day three pick, the Chiefs added a top-20 talent at offensive tackle in Josh Simmons. Simmons will presumably replace Jaylon Moore at left tackle, shoring up the Chiefs’ line for the long term.
At 6’5”, 317 pounds, there’s a case to be made that Simmons is the best athlete in the OT class. His space blocking is a sight to behold on tape, and his range at the second level is rivaled only by his hyperactive matching athleticism and elite flexibility, both on recovery and in power absorption.
On top of his athletic gifts, Simmons’ technical tape in 2024 was incredibly clean before a torn patellar tendon ended his season prematurely. But the Chiefs’ selection reaffirms his clean bill of health moving forward, and he has the upside to be a high-level starter in time. Patrick Mahomes will be much more comfortable in the pocket, and that’s a scary thought.
- Round 2, Pick 63
Omarr Norman-Lott, DT | Tennessee
Grade: B
Chris Jones may be the best pass-rushing defensive tackle in the NFL, but that doesn’t mean he can do it all alone. Kansas City’s interior was looking awfully thin after Tershawn Wharton and Derrick Nnadi both left in free agency. In adding Omar Norman-Lott, the Chiefs are getting a defensive tackle who brings more pass-rush juice than most of Jones’ DT partners typically have.
Norman-Lott comes with natural leverage as a 6’2” player with nearly 34-inch arms, and had 9.5 sacks the last two seasons for the Volunteers. His explosiveness but relative lack of size (291 pounds) means he’ll probably be limited to passing downs early in his career.
However, that should give Steve Spagnuolo plenty of options to play with on third downs, which is always dangerous for opposing quarterbacks.
- Round 3, Pick 66
Ashton Gillotte, EDGE | Louisville
Grade: B
The Chiefs were expected to address the EDGE position at some point, with suspect depth past George Karlaftis. Ashton Gillotte wasn’t the highest-rated EDGE on the board at this juncture, but he no doubt fits the Chiefs’ profile at the position, and his production at the collegiate level speaks for itself.
In four years at Louisville, Gillotte amassed 26.5 sacks and 41 tackles for loss. At a hyperdense 6’2”, 264 pounds, he’s a relentless two-phase attacker with eye-popping point-of-attack power, searing closing burst, and the ankle flexion to reduce his surface area while using heavy hands in the pass-rush phase.
He was sometimes forgotten in this EDGE class, but with the Chiefs, he could soon remind onlookers how good he is.
- Round 3, Pick 85
Nohl Williams, CB | California
Grade: B
An experienced player with over 3,000 collegiate snaps, Nohl Williams had an extremely productive 2024 season. The Cal cornerback had seven interceptions and nine pass breakups in 2024, largely playing outside corner.
However, it’s possible the Chiefs have other plans for Williams. He also played in the slot and box safety throughout his college career. Given the Chiefs’ propensity for dime packages, it’s possible Williams develops into a versatile sub-package chess piece that Kansas City uses as a matchup weapon on specific receivers.
- Round 4, Pick 133
Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State
Grade: A+
Jalen Royals likely fell down the board due to his medicals, but assuming the Chiefs cleared him and he can get back to 100%, he could go on to be one of the best value acquisitions in the 2025 NFL Draft, bar none. Royals was a top-40 player on my board, and he can be a tremendous movement-Z receiver in Andy Reid’s offense.
At 6’0”, 210 pounds, Royals is well-leveraged, hyper-dense, and equipped with high-end explosiveness and twitch. On top of that, he’s a crisp and efficient route runner, a seam and cross-field splitter with speed, a RAC demon, and an instinctive catch-point adjuster. Alongside Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice, Royals can be the final piece for this WR room.
- Round 5, Pick 156
Jeffrey Bassa, LB | Oregon
Grade: B+ - Round 7, Pick 228
Brashard Smith, RB | SMU
Grade: A