Kansas City Chiefs (Last Year: 11-6)
NFL Draft Team Grade:
A- GradeGoals Entering the 2024 NFL Draft: Wide receiver was a huge weakness for the Chiefs last year. They signed Marquise Brown, but with Rashee Rice facing a possible suspension, the position must still be addressed. The offensive line must be upgraded as well, and finding a replacement for Travis Kelce in the near future must be considered, too.
2024 NFL Draft Accomplishments: The Chiefs attacked all of their areas of need. They began by trading up for a receiver, landing Xavier Worthy, who broke the combine 40 record with a 4.21. Patrick Mahomes had Marquez Valdes-Scantling as his deep threat last year, and now he’ll be able to throw to Brown and Worthy, which is a colossal upgrade for him. I personally don’t think the Chiefs needed to trade up for Worthy, but there’s no doubt that he’ll provide Mahomes with an element that he didn’t possess last season.
The offensive line was next, with the Chiefs landing a major steal at No. 63 with Kingsley Suamataia. The BYU product was considered a possibility at No. 32, yet Kansas City acquired him at the end of the second round. The team also added a couple of other value blockers as well, securing Hunter Nourzad in the fifth round and C.J. Hanson in the final frame.
Kelce’s future replacement, meanwhile, could be Jared Wiley, taken in the fourth round. Two picks later, Kansas City obtained another major steal in safety Jaden Hicks, who was thought as a possible second-rounder by some.
It’s no surprise that the Chiefs had a strong draft overall. They made seven picks, and none scored worse than a C+. They filled their needs with dynamic athletes and great values, so Kansas City fans couldn’t ask for much more.
NFL Draft Individual Grades:
28. Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas – C+ Grade
No one should be surprised that the Chiefs selected a receiver. It was already a need before Rashee Rice got into trouble. However, I don’t see why the Chiefs needed to trade up for Worthy. There are so many solid receivers still available, and almost all of them would have been available at No. 32, so a trade like this doesn’t seem very necessary.
63. Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU – A+ Grade
This is terrific value. I thought the Chiefs would consider Kingsley Suamataia with the 32nd-overall pick, yet they got him at No. 63! With receiver addressed, tackle became the team’s great need, and Suamataia could be a big upgrade.
131. Jared Wiley, TE, TCU – B Grade
A future replacement for Travis Kelce? Jared Wiley was a very productive and greatly sized player from TCU. Dr. Wiley makes sense late in the fourth round, so this is a decent pick all around.
133. Jaden Hicks, S, Washington State – A+ Grade
What a great value here for the Chiefs at the end of the fourth round. Jaden Hicks is a play-making safety prospect who easily could have gone in the second round. Adding more talent to the secondary makes sense, given all the great passing offenses in the AFC.
159. Hunter Nourzad, C, Penn State – B Grade
I like Hunter Nourzad as a fourth-round prospect going in the fifth. The Chiefs have a terrific center, but they lost a key backup this offseason, so they needed an insurance policy. This is a good one.
211. Kamal Hadden, CB, Tennessee – B Grade
Kamal Hadden bounced around schools, but settled in at Tennessee. He played well last year and was seen as a mid-Day 3 prospect, so this is a logical choice for the Chiefs to make, especially given how many lethal passing offenses exist in the AFC.
248. C.J. Hanson, C/G, Holy Cross – B Grade
C.J. Hanson didn’t surrender a single sack at Holy Cross last season. He also has good versatility, being able to play both center and guard. The Chiefs lost a key backup, so I understand why they’d draft a versatile blocker.
Season Summary:
Dynasty. The Chiefs became the first repeat champion in 19 years, winning a Super Bowl for the third time in five years.
Offseason Moves:
Team Needs:
- Two Wide Receivers: Kansas City’s wide receiver corps was a mess the entire year. Aside from Rashee Rice, no one performed well. Two new wideouts are needed. Signed Marquise Brown
- Two Offensive Tackles: Patrick Mahomes’ pass protection must improve as well. The tackle play was poor last year as well.
- Two Defensive Tackles: Only one defensive tackle is needed if Chris Jones is re-signed. Keeping Jones is obviously imperative. Re-signed Chris Jones
- Cornerback: L’Jarius Sneed is another major free agent who will need to be retained. Finding a new No. 1 cornerback will be difficult.
- Tight End: The Chiefs need to think about bringing in a future replacement for Travis Kelce as well, given that Kelce looked decrepit for most of the season.
- Backup Quarterback: Blaine Gabbert will be hitting free agency, but the Chiefs may want a better backup quarterback anyway.
- Punter: Tommy Townsend is set to hit free agency as well. Signed Matt Araiza
Follow me @walterfootball for updates.
2024 NFL Free Agent Signings:
Kansas City Chiefs Free Agents:
Salary Cap: TBA.
NFL Free Agent Tracker:
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