Let's take a look at the latest mock drafts for the Chiefs to see who is being projected to KC next spring.
The Kansas City Chiefs have some significant roster needs looking ahead to next offseason that general manager Brett Veach is going to have to figure out. The front and back end of the defense need major attention after injuries and roster concerns were front and center in this current 2024 campaign, and of course, the offense looked like a shell of its former self for much of the year so far.
Perhaps it's not surprising, then, to see several of those needs being taken care of with the Chiefs' first round selection in a sampling of the latest 2025 NFL mock drafts out from some of our favorite places to check around.
We believe fans can do two things at once, which is why we're still thrilled for the Chiefs chances for a three-peat this season while also keeping tabs on the top college talent coming into the league next spring. Here's a look at 2025 mock drafts and the players they're projecting for Kansas City at the bottom of the first round.
Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan
One of the latest mock drafts from the Draft Network comes via our pal Daniel Harms, an occasional guest on the Arrowhead Addict podcast network and a great follow for Chiefs Kingdom on social media. It's not surprising to see a great entry from him for the team in his latest mock given how well he knows the team.
At No. 31 overall in his mock, Harms is giving the Chiefs their biggest investment along the defensive interior since the team selected Chris Jones back in 2016. Interestingly, it's the selection of Grant that feels like a golden opportunity given how much help Jones' needs and his advancing age. While Jones is clearly still an elite defender, the Chiefs would do well to make life easier on him and for him to maximize his impact.
As for Grant, he's a two-year starter in the middle for Michigan as a strong run stopper and potential disruptor who has 7 tackles for loss and 3 sacks this year for the Wolverines. While the leap forward this season from Turk Wharton is nice, the Chiefs just haven't made any real investment there for a long time. One major injury would decimate the entire front, so bringing in Grant makes sense.
Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
The tight end position feels a bit difficult to read for the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason. In one sense, it could be seen as a major position of need knowing how much Patrick Mahomes leans on his larger pass catchers to move the chains and how much it feels like the end of the line for the Travis Kelce era in 2025.
At the same time, the Chiefs already have Kelce for next season under contract and Noah Gray has signed an extension to be in K.C. longer than that. In addition, the team has Jared Wiley for the next three seasons as their fourth-round rookie out of TCU this year who was lost to a season-ending injury. How much room is there for another big investment?
Well, Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News believes there's plenty of room which is why he's giving the Chiefs a top prospect at the position at No. 31 overall in Tyler Warren out of Penn State.
While there are much bigger positional fish to fry, so to speak, it'd be hard to fault the Chiefs for wanting to secure things at tight end for good and not have to worry about things again for the next five to seven seasons, at least. Warren's hands are exceptional and he's proven to be a very productive pass catcher when leaned on for volume. This year, he had 88 catches for 1,062 yards and 7 scores.
Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
For those who've watched the secondary concerns this season after losing Jaylen Watson to injury following the trade of L'Jarius Sneed in the offseason, the idea of making a major draft investment at cornerback is a welcome one. That's what's behind Blake Brockermeyer's mock draft over at CBS Sports this week.
Barron comes to the draft as a very experienced corner (fifth year senior with more than 30 starts) who can play inside and out. He blossomed this year as a ballhawk with five interceptions as well. For the Chiefs, Barron would arrive as a pro-ready corner option who could allow the Chiefs some real options on how to set up the rest of their corps.
Barron's ability to stay outside could work well with Watson in conjunction if the Chiefs wanted to keep Trent McDuffie in the slot. Or Barron could be in the slot and a backup on the boundary that they didn't have this season after suffering losses. Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson will continue to provide reps in sub packages, but as a unit, too many players are approaching a contract year for the Chiefs to not bring in reinforcements early in this year's draft.