It's become an annual anonymous tradition.
The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, and in its wake, a series of predictable reactions have emerged from various media outlets who collect the opinions of those courageous enough to talk about the results off the record. It comes in many forms—from agents to NFL staffers to college coaches—with each one giving insider opinions as to how various teams did with their collection of picks.
The latest such column can be found at ESPN, where several head coaches and coordinators from Power 4 conferences spoke to Adam Rittenberg about draft weekend. Not much was discussed concerning the Kansas City Chiefs, save for their final choice in the seventh round, at No. 249 overall, when they submitted a card with LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier's name on it.
Nearly all late-round selections go overlooked, but Nussmeier has become one of the most talked about choices by general manager Brett Veach for myriad reasons. First, the Chiefs have never drafted a quarterback in Veach's tenure as GM, which stretches all the way back to 2018. Second, Nussmeier generated considerable pre-draft buzz a year ago and fell after a frustrating season marred by injuries.
The Chiefs clearly believe they have something special in Garrett Nussmeier, and they are not alone.
A draft fall, even a steep one, was expected for Nussmeier after he went from 4,052 passing yards and 29 touchdown passes to under 2,000 and 12 scores. An abdominal injury hampered him during his final season in Baton Rouge, and later tests discovered a cyst pressing on a nerve on his spine. He's cleared to play medically, but the Chiefs might have found a steal in the process.
That's at least the opinion of one unnamed coach who spoke with Rittenberg about Nussmeier joining the Chiefs late on day three of the draft.
"Who knows why he fell so far, but I studied him and that kid is a stud," said a defensive coordinator who faced Nussmeier. "Obviously, didn't have a great season, but he's a good player."
Nussmeier himself admits it was painful to wait as long as he did, but he's ready for the chance to prove what he can do while learning from the wise voices around him in quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid, among others. If he can put the painful 2025 season—literally and figuratively—more than one person agrees that the Chiefs might just have something special on their hands.
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