The Kansas City Chiefs have lost two Super Bowls during the Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid era and both of those losses could heavily be blamed on how badly the offensive line performed. When the Chiefs lost to the Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55, Brett Veach traded for Orlando Brown Jr. and then drafted Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith, revamping the offensive line and helping the team win two more titles over the next three years.
Following the loss in Super Bowl 59, one would think Veach has a few tricks up his sleeves but it won't be easy to add help on the o-line. Nearly every team is looking to add the top options on the o-line in the draft and free agency (if the top options even get there) so Veach certainly has his work cut out for him.
Mock drafts all seem to be thinking the same thing though and that's beefing up the Chiefs' tackle position. In two of the three mock drafts in this piece, not only do the Chiefs go with a tackle with their first-round pick but it's the same player.
Draft experts appear to be sold on the idea of Josh Conerly Jr. landing with the Chiefs
CBS Sports: Josh Conerly Jr., OT (Oregon)
Garrett Podell of CBS Sports was one of two draft experts in this batch of mock drafts to link K.C. to Conerly, pointing out his quarterback pressure rate as a reason why the Chiefs should snatch him up with the 31st overall pick.
"The 2024 first-team All-Big Ten left tackle allowed the lowest quarterback pressure rate (1.6%) in the conference in 2024, minimum 400 snaps, and he surrendered just two sacks on 1,032 career pass block snaps. Kansas City takes care of Patrick Mahomes here."
Pro Football Network: Josh Conerly Jr., OT (Oregon)
Typically I put a grade at the bottom of every pick but since Conerly was two analysts' pick for the Chiefs here, I'll just group it together. Pro Football Network was another mock draft connecting Conerly and Kansas City in the hopes of shoring up the left tackle spot for Mahomes in 2025 and hopefully beyond.
"The Super Bowl was extremely brutal to watch because the Chiefs could not protect Patrick Mahomes. Josh Connerly Jr. is a former five-star recruit who would pair nicely with their other former five-star tackle, Kingsley Suamataia."
Grade: A-
Pro Football Focus: Tyleik Williams, DI (Ohio State)
Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus was the only draft analyst to not only have the Chiefs not take Conerly but to have them go in an entirely different direction. He had K.C. selecting Tyleik Williams with their first-round pick and points out how instead of going with an offensive lineman, the Chiefs can get one of the best run-stoppers in the draft.
"The Chiefs miss out on the top-tier offensive tackles, so they add an elite run-stopper to their defensive line. Williams finished 2024 with the eighth-best PFF run-defense grade in the FBS (88.6) and would immediately complement Chris Jones‘ pass-rushing prowess."
Grade: B+