With the first initial wave of free agency over, we've gotten a clearer picture of the Chiefs' offseason plan. As we quickly approach the NFL Draft, the picture gets clearer as to what the Chiefs' draft needs will be after free agency. The Chiefs dramatically reduced their draft needs at linebacker, interior offensive line, and corner by bringing back Nick Bolton and Trey Smith and with the addition of Kristian Fulton.
The Chiefs recently were awarded two compensatory picks in the seventh round, bringing them to a total of eight picks in the 2025 Draft. The Chiefs will spend the next month finishing their evaluations on players, finalizing their draft boards, and meeting with players to gather the final pieces of information on them.
A reminder that a mock draft is not about creating a "dream come true" scenario but rather about exploring options. Be sure to bookmark our Chiefs-specific big board, as we continue to add scouting reports to it daily.
Round 1, Pick 31 - Malaki Starks, Safety, Georgia
The combine was buzzing from the standout performance of safety Nick Emmanwori. Meanwhile, Malaki Starks had a fairly quiet combine with average testing. However, something that stood out about the testing was that during the drills, Starks averaged the highest speed of any DB. Many believe this can measure the difference between play speed and track speed. Starks is a highly versatile safety who profiles as a future leader of a defense. His ability to tackle, make plays on the ball, and play everywhere makes him a high-floor prospect.
Two years ago, the Chiefs drafted Felix Anudike-Uzomah over Brian Branch. This is a chance to fix that. With Justin Reid signing with the New Orleans Saints, there's now a need for a long-term safety option beyond Jaden Hicks. Bryan Cook and Chamarri Conner should not stop the Chiefs from upgrading at safety. Starks and Hicks are a tandem that pair well together and could make the Chiefs' backfield elite.
Shades of: Brian Branch
Round 2, Pick 63 - Landon Jackson, Edge, Arkansas
At 6'6", 264 lbs., Landon Jackson brings strength and length to the edge position. He is a powerful pocket pusher who sets a quality edge, and his hands pack a powerful punch that helps him extend his long frame into a tackle's chest. He has a pass rush plan that has grown over his years as a starter.
Jackson's first step is average, and he's not a speed rusher who can win quickly. At his size, there's also not much bend around the edge. Ideally, his frame should move nicely down to the B-gap on passing downs.
The defensive line has lots of needs after free agency, and Jackson brings a nice profile to a Spagnuolo defense. His strengths play nicely off Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Mike Danna. Jackson is a Day 1 run defender who can develop into a versatile pass rusher.
Shades of: Emmanuel Ogbah
Round 3, Pick 66 - T.J. Sanders, Interior Defensive Line, South Carolina
Sanders is a rare interior prospect who is a more developed pass rusher than a run defender at this point. At 6'4" and 290 lbs., he's a little undersized to be a true three-down interior defensive presence. He possesses a quick and powerful first step and illustrates the mastery of several pass rush moves, including a hand swipe and inside scissor. He's not a net negative against the run, but his ability to rush the passer is what makes him a Day 2 pick. There are some issues with splitting double teams and identifying run fits.
Sanders profiles as a natural replacement for Tershawn Wharton, who was the Chiefs' second-best pass rusher from the interior. He has the potential to be a Pro Bowl-caliber defender with growth in the run game and is a Day 1 impact rusher. The Chiefs have lots of needs along the defensive line—they need to get younger and more explosive. Sanders can be the beginning of that transformation.
Shades of: Jarran Reed
Round 3, Pick 95 - Jack Bech, Wide Receiver, TCU
Bech would be a different style of receiver than we've seen come to Kansas City. At 6'1", 212 lbs., he's a bigger-bodied X receiver who still has some YAC ability. He's an above-average run blocker, eats up zone coverage, and has shown an ability to win in contested catch scenarios. He's grown as a route runner over his time at TCU and has an incredible personal story related to losing his brother in the terrorist attack on Bourbon Street on New Year's Eve.
Bech is a prospect best measured by his floor rather than his ceiling. His ability to block, win against zone, play through press coverage, and run the deep route tree makes him a sacrificial X receiver who could become much more. He can bring a blend of the things that Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster have—not as much straight-line speed, but above-average YAC skills.
Shades of: Noah Brown
Round 4, Pick 133 - Devin Neal, Running back, Kansas
Devin Neal profiles as a three-down back with a heavy amount of receiving production at the college level. He possesses a strong ability to play through contact and grind out the hard yards against tacklers. His burst is average, and he doesn't have a breakaway gear to separate at the second level. With over 750 career touches in college, he's a high-mileage back. He's been versatile for Kansas, at times running speed options and taking direct snaps. He's run a nice blend of gap and zone in a creative offense.
Neal might have been one of the few backs who didn't impress at the combine. His testing was average, but he was a victim of an insanely talented running back class. His ability to play through contact, burst through the first level, and be incorporated in the passing game makes him a logical starting back at the next level. A combination of him and Pacheco in 2025 makes a nice rotation of backs who can split the workload. Ideally, you'd still like a back with pass protection skills, but those can be found in free agency.
Shades of: Rachaad White
Round 7, Pick 226 - Marcus Yarns, Delaware
A second running back? Yes, the need is there for the Chiefs, who have one RB coming into his contract year and the other a fresh signing who hasn't been healthy since Pacheco's senior season at Rutgers (Elijah Mitchell).
Yarns will be a prospect close to the hearts of fellow Delaware alums like Brett Veach and Matt Nagy, and he's the 10th-leading rusher in school history with 2,344 career yards and a healthy 6.4 yards per carry. What will endear him to the rest of Chiefs Kingdom is his NFL-ready speed (4.43-second 40-yard dash) that shows up on game tape as well. He's an explosive athlete who could provide mismatches despite size concerns.
Shades of: Keaton Mitchell
Round 7, Pick 251 - Keandre Lambert-Smith, Wide Receiver, Auburn
Keandre Lambert-Smith is an explosive but undersized receiver. He ranked third in college football in 20+ yard receptions. He was clocked at 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine as well. He was a standout at the Shrine Bowl and seemed to have lots of interest from NFL scouts. Being a fifth-year senior and not particularly large (6'0", 190 lbs.) is part of the reason he's a possible late Day 3 target.
"KLS" is an ideal seventh-round pick simply because of the upside that's there. He's not a well-developed route runner, but his raw separation skills and speed make him an easy guy to get on the field. He can be a special teams ace as well. The Chiefs need to move on from some of their old standbys at receiver. We've already seen Justin Watson find a new home, and maybe it's time for Mecole Hardman to do the same. Give the Chiefs receiver room an injection of youth.
Shades of: Deede Westbrook
Round 7, Pick 257 - Jabbar Muhammad, Corner, Oregon
Jabbar Muhammad really started to be on our radar last year with some of his splash plays for Washington in their playoff run. Muhammad transferred to Oregon this year, where his play took a step back. He's a fifth-year player with not much ball production (four career INTs and 34 PBUs) and took a step back as a tackler this year. However, his coverage is sticky, and he grades well in coverage and separation metrics via PFF.
At 5-9 195 lbs., he might be suited better to the slot at the next level but he competed well on the outside in college. If the Chiefs can at least get a core special teams member and maybe a depth CB piece out of Muhammad, it's a big win in the seventh round. He's competed against elite talent over the last two years and has some traits that could help him find the field on defense.
Shades of: Quandre Diggs