With the conclusion of Super Bowl 59, the 2024 NFL season has come to an end and now everyone will shift their attention to free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. The Kansas City Chiefs are slated to hold the 31st pick.
Fans have grown accustomed to the Chiefs picking late in the first-round so this is nothing new. It is frustrating, however, because the Chiefs desperately need to get their offensive tackle situation figured out if they want to get back on top of the NFL mountain. Doing so when holding the second-to-last pick in the first round is difficult though because the best tackle options are going to go well before the Chiefs are scheduled to be on the clock.
That didn't stop draft pundits from linking K.C. to tackles in this year's draft. In two of the three mock drafts included for this write-up, Kansas City adds an offensive tackle hoping that the unit can have a resurgence like it did after the embarrassing beatdown in Super Bowl 55. Protecting Patrick Mahomes appears to be what most draft analysts think the Chiefs should do.
Chiefs mock draft round-ups have team fixating on offensive woes
CBS Sports: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT (Texas)
In Josh Edwards of CBS Sports' mock draft, the Chiefs make a trade with the Vikings, moving them from 31 to 24 where they nab Texas' Kelvin Banks Jr. Chiefs fans would be elated if this happened since Banks is considered to be one of the best tackles in the draft and would instantly help shore up the left side of the o-line.
It feels unlikely that Banks will drop this far in the draft considering the talent level and the strong need at left tackle for a lot of teams in the league but if he does and K.C. can move up to draft him, that'd be an incredible move.
Grade: A+
NFL.com: Josh Conerly Jr., OT (Oregon)
Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com is another draft analyst who thinks the Chiefs will go with an offensive tackle in the first round, only he has them standing pat at 31 in his mock draft and selecting Josh Conerly Jr. On one end, the Chiefs land a left tackle in this scenario without having to surrender any picks. As we've seen though, is that the best thing for them or should they be more aggressive here and get someone they know will work out for them as they strive for more Super Bowl wins.
Grade: A-
PFF: Colston Loveland, TE (Michigan)
The only mock draft that doesn't have Kansas City going with an offensive tackle is Jordan Plocher of PFF, who decided to have the Chiefs select Michigan tight end Colston Loveland. Plocher points to Travis Kelce being near the end of his career as a reason for why the Chiefs should spend their first-round pick on a tight end.
There's no debating that Kelce is nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career but even if he does retire, it feels like the Chiefs could use this pick for a more prominent need. They have Noah Gray on the roster already and he's been showing that he's a dependable target for Patrick Mahomes.
Grade: C+
