Jordan McFadden, an OL out of Clemson, says he had really good meetings with a few teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Kansas City Chiefs are going to be connected with dozens of prospects over the next few weeks as the team prepares for the 2023 NFL Draft. It’s part of the homework for general manager Brett Veach and company to connect with as many prospects as they can as they fill out their draft board, and that means agents and players will mention some link with Kansas City time and again.
The latest college prospect to find himself in a room with some leaders from the Chiefs is Clemson offensive lineman Jordan McFadden.
McFadden is a familiar face for college football fans who’ve been watching high-level programs for the last few years. As a starting tackle for the Clemson Tigers for the last three seasons, McFadden held down the right tackle in front of Trevor Lawrence before taking over on the left side—having made 39 consecutive starts up front for the Tigers. This year, he received the Jacobs Blocking Award and was voted the ACC’s best blocker.
At this year’s Shrine Bowl, McFadden stood out and in a recent interview, he stated that he enjoyed “really good meetings” that week with the Chiefs and a couple of other teams.
Draft analysts have solid things to say about McFadden’s pro future, but the consensus seems to be that he might be either a limited tackle option or a better interior line candidate. A lack of length forces a lot of college tackles inside, so that’s nothing new at the pro level, and the experience outside could also be a strength for McFadden down the line considering that sort of versatility could work in his favor long-term.
Consider the Chiefs’ needs at this point with Andrew Wylie hitting free agency alongside Orlando Brown Jr. and Nick Allegretti. While Brown is likely to be tagged with a reported extension on the way, Wylie is going to earn a raise after a solid year starting at right tackle for the Super Bowl champions. In addition, Allegretti is a solid young versatile lineman who deserves a potential chance to start.
Without those two players, if they leave in the open market, the Chiefs have a lot of inexperience and question marks. Lucas Niang could turn into something outside, but injuries have plagued him for his short pro career. Darian Kinnard, last year’s fifth round pick, was a mauler of a tackle who was reportedly being turned into an interior option, but it’s impossible to tell how that experiment is going outside of Arrowhead.
A player like McFadden could be a valuable play as a reserve with starter potential after learning the ropes for a year—a point at which Joe Thuney will be more expensive and Trey Smith will be closer to free agency himself. And if he has tackle experience, that’s even better.
Whether or not McFadden is the play, expect the Chiefs to find a lineman that matches this general profile in the draft.