Typically, a seventh-round pick has to fight for some of the spotlight after an NFL Draft is complete. Even on day three, after the first few rounds have already gotten their share of attention, there are plenty of earlier picks to jostle with and then comes the media frenzy looking at the overall class.
That was not the case when the Kansas City Chiefs submitted a card with LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier's name on it.
Nussmeier was announced as K.C.'s selection at No. 249, the forced slide-down for general manager Brett Veach after moving up to select Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson in the fifth round. At the time, the pick felt like an afterthought, since it was so close to No. 257—Mr. Irrelevant!—but suddenly, the atmosphere in Pittsburgh changed as the intersection of team and prospect generated considerable buzz.
Shortly after getting selected, Nussmeier spoke with reporters about several subjects, including playing out a frustrating season at LSU, the pains of waiting for 248 selections, and the thrill of hearing from the front office at Arrowhead.
On what it was like to get the call from the Chiefs
"it was an unbelievable feeling. I felt like I was sitting there waiting forever, so I couldn't have been more excited to see that area code pop up."
On the level of pre-draft contact with K.C.
"Yeah, it was pretty minimal, you know? It's crazy how some of these teams do their work. They like to hide who they like and some like to show it. It's a big chess match. I'm just so excited, man. It's a great opportunity for me to learn and develop and be under a great coach and obviously be behind one of teh best quarterbacks of all time."
On working with Coach Reid and Patrick Mahomes
"I can only imagine. I'm so excited to be in a room with those guys. And Coach Reid and his unbelievable offensive mind. And obviously, sitting behind Patrick and getting to learn from him. Hopefully, I'll steal some things from him and see the game through his eyes. It's gonna be an unbelievable experience for me. Something that I'm really grateful for."
On going later than he thought he would in the draft
"Yeah, I mean, obviously it was difficult for me sitting there and not understanding why, I guess you could say. Obviously, I have a belief in myself and where I believe that I should have been valued. And at the end of the day, I'm just grateful for this opportunity. I said throughout this entire process, it's not when, it's where. And I couldn't be more blessed to go to such a great team, such a great organization."
On what he learned during an injury-plagued year in 2025
"Yeah, I went through a lot. As you guys will learn about me, I'm a big believer in my faith, and my faith is my foundation. That is who I am. And so having that foundation in Christ, that's how I got through all the stuff that I went through this year. That's how I still am the same guy I was before, and actually better off because of it. It was a tough deal to deal with throughout this year, but as I said, I'm better off because of it."
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