With the 31st pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select... A lot of draft analysts seem to think the end of that sentence will be a player who plays offensive tackle. Mike Band, an NFL Next Gen Stats analyst, recently released his latest mock draft and had the Chiefs going in that direction, only drafting 24th overall instead of 31st.
In Band's mock, he has the Chiefs swapping spots with the Minnesota Vikings, moving up seven spots to snag Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. This way, the Chiefs get ahead of the Houston Texans on the draft board to ensure they get the guy they want and not leave it to chance.
"Just like in my first mock, the Chiefs trade up to No. 24 to secure their long-term answer at left tackle, leapfrogging Houston, a team that could also target offensive line help at No. 25. The last time the Chiefs came off a Lombardi Trophy-free season, GM Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid made a similar move up the board to secure a need and draft cornerback Trent McDuffie."
Band also included the probabilities of the positions the Chiefs could take with their first pick. Offensive line led the pack at 39%, then defensive line with 31%), and cornerback came in at 8%.
Chiefs take a massive swing to secure their left tackle of the future
This is a pretty realistic trade honestly. Some might ask why teams would continue to help the Chiefs but the Vikings play in a different conference and only have four total draft picks. If any team is looking to add more draft capital and don't care about gifting Kansas City a player it desperately needs, it'd be the Vikings.
Banks would be an excellent addition for the Chiefs and could start right away. Sure, Kansas City signed Jaylon Moore in the offseason but he's only started 12 games during his career so if the Chiefs have a chance to find a more reliable option at left tackle, they shouldn't hesitate to do so.
This would be a smart move for the Chiefs because they'd add a talented player at a position of need and ensure that the Texans, an up-and-coming foe for them in the AFC, didn't get him. Win-win.