The Kansas City Chiefs are likely gearing up for a complete offensive overhaul this offseason to get younger and faster at the skill positions and, more importantly, to beef up the protection in front of Patrick Mahomes for 2025 and beyond. Thus, it's not surprising to see mock drafts repeatedly provide the latter for the Chiefs in their projections.
The latest mock draft is out from the original Mockfather himself, Mel Kiper Jr., and he's projecting the Chiefs to take a big swing at left tackle with the massive Aireontae Ersery at No. 31 overall in the first round.
Ersery is a native of Kansas City, so his selection wouldn't just be a welcome addition to the roster but also feature a homecoming for the former Minnesota Gopher. Ersery played at Ruskin locally before heading for the Big Ten.
The Chiefs have to hope that Ersery or someone like him could provide long-term answers at the left tackle position.
As for his on-field impact, Ersery would immediately bring an impact player to the side of the offensive line at a position that has been a revolving door for the Chiefs since Mahomes first arrived. Ersery started his final 38 games at left tackle for the Gophers, giving him a wealth of experience coming into the NFL to go with his massive frame and impressive strength.
Ersery was a third-team All-American in 2024 for Minnesota and impressed at this year's Senior Bowl. Kiper writes, "Ersery is a massive blocker at 6-6 and 330 pounds, and he shows ample power and movement skills on tape. He allowed just four sacks over 39 college starts."
For the Chiefs, the arrival of Ersery would pressure Kingsley Suamataia to prove himself at left tackle or move to an interior position, depending on how the Chiefs want to handle the line this offseason. The potential departure of Trey Smith in free agency complicates a picture that needs improvement either way.
The Chiefs leaned on four different starters at left tackle this past season, including Suamataia, Wanya Morris, D.J. Humphries, and left guard Joe Thuney. Given the attempts to plug short-term answers at the position in recent years—from Orlando Brown Jr. to Donovan Smith—and failed draft picks—such as Lucas Niang or Darian Kinnard—the hope is that Ersery (or someone like him) could finally provide answers to questions that have lingered for quite some time.
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