The Kansas City Chiefs have made an annual habit of inviting local and regional prospects in for a special day at Arrowhead before every NFL Draft to get a closer look at potential prospects. This year, that list of players is set to include an interior line candidate from the Big 12.
Joe Michalski has reportedly received an invitation to join the cadre of pro hopefuls on April 7, a solid reward for a lineman who enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2024 for Oklahoma State.
Michalski was named honorable mention All-Big 12 for the second year in a row in 2024 as the starting center for the Cowboys.
Michalski has been an ironman for the Cowboys during his tenure up front as an anchor for an elite ground game meant to showcase running back Ollie Gordon II. He led all Power 5 linemen in total snaps in '23 (1,015) and started a full season once again in 2024, giving him 35 total starts at the college level. He allowed zero sacks in 617 pass-blocking snaps in '23, per Robert Allen of Pokes Report.
What makes Michalski an even better story is that he's a Kansas City native who played for St. Thomas Aquinas in Overland Park.
As for his fit with the Chiefs, Michalski is going to be a late-round grab at best, which means he could join a competitive group that also includes draft picks from last year like Hunter Nourzad and C.J. Hanson along with Mike Caliendo and McKade Mettauer. Nourzad and Caliendo feel like sure things behind Trey Smith and Kingsley Suamataia (for now) but Michalski could push for an interior spot as well, assuming the tryout goes well.