The Kansas City Chiefs continue to pore through their options for offensive line reinforcements, particularly at left tackle, and they're leaving no stone unturned. As part of their offseason effort to bolster protection for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs used one of their allotted 30 pre-draft visits on Washington State offensive tackle Esa Pole, according to NFL reporter Ryan Fowler.
Pole, a towering presence at 6'5" and 320 pounds with 34-inch arms, is drawing increasing interest across the league after a standout 2024 campaign in which he didn’t allow a single sack over 498 pass-blocking snaps.
The Chiefs used more of their pre-draft visits on offensive linemen than anything else.
Kansas City isn’t the only team showing serious interest. The Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers also hosted Pole for official visits, while Fowler notes that the Washington Commanders, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Ravens have all checked in on the former Cougar.
What makes Pole even more intriguing is his unusual path to the National Football League's doorstep. Originally a basketball standout, Pole began playing football in 2021 at Chabot College before transferring to Washington State, where he started 21 games across two seasons. Despite his limited experience, Pole earned a solid 85.8 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus across 857 snaps at left tackle.
Pole's older brother, Toni, also played college football with 46 games of experience at defensive tackle for Washington State.
As for the Chiefs, they've spent more of their official pre-draft visits on offensive linemen than any other position. Tackle visits beyond Pole also include N.C. State's Anthony Belton, BYU's Caleb Etienne, Oklahoma State's Dalton Cooper, Minnesota's Aireontae Ersery, Oregon State's Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, and more.
The 2025 NFL Draft is set to run over three consecutive days, beginning on Thursday, April 24, with the first round.