The Chiefs now have eight picks in the 2025 NFL draft, and Brett Veach has shown an aggressiveness to trade up to get his guy on draft day when he sees an opportunity.

This year’s draft class is strong at the top, with several options at defensive tackle and other key positions for the Chiefs.

If one of the top names on the Chiefs board falls, they have the necessary ammunition to go up and get their guy. Let’s take a look at a few players the Chiefs could look to trade up for on draft day.

1. Kenneth Grant, Defensive Tackle, Michigan

Have to get above pick 22, likely trade partners include Steelers and Buccaneers

This is my third time writing about Kenneth Grant this week after mentioning him as a potential replacement for Tershawn Wharton, as well as having the Chiefs move up to get him in my most recent mock draft.

I have been pounding the table for the Chiefs to land Grant all year after his incredible performance for Michigan in the national championship against Washington.

Now, I am listing him as one of my favorite trade-up targets for the Chiefs in this year’s draft.

Grant is at the top of my guys list and is a player who has been a massive riser on NFL boards this season. Despite this, people still have not realized how insane of an athlete he is, and he remains one of the most underrated players in the draft.

Grant is massive but also moves with a level of quickness that is not met by many people on the defensive line, let alone someone who is pushing 350 pounds.

Grant has power as well, but he really blows me away with his lateral quickness and ability to side-step and swim past interior linemen. Grant is able to play nose tackle well, as he often requires double teams, but I think he can move to 3/4 tech as needed and will be effective.

I have Grant as my second-ranked defensive tackle and is ninth on my full big board, which is significantly higher than the general consensus.

I have seen Grant go as high as No.10 to the Bears, and as low as No. 31 to the Chiefs, but most places have Grant being mocked between picks 20 and 25. Kansas City will likely need to jump the Chargers through trades with either the Steelers or the Buccaneers. If the Chiefs are sold on Grant as a prospect, they should get aggressive and move up to get him.

2. Josh Simmons, Tackle, Ohio State

Have to get above pick 22, likely trade partners include Steelers and Buccaneers

Call me crazy if you want, but I don’t think the Chiefs should be opposed to the idea of adding another offensive tackle early in the draft. Simmons is one of my favorite tackle prospects, that I have ranked him as the second-best tackle in this year’s class.

Simmons is a polished low floor prospect who I think is the most likely player in the draft who can stick at tackle and can play on either side of the line.

The Chiefs feel they have their starting tackles on the roster with Jawaan Taylor and Jaylon Moore, both of whom are solid but come with their concerns. Moore is unproven, with just seven starts at tackle over the last two years, and will need to show consistency to keep his job in Kansas City past 2025.

Jawaan Taylor signed a four-year $80 million contract and has had some struggles with the Chiefs and has a potential out in his contract next season.

There are plenty of ways that Simmons could find the field, both this year and next year, if there are struggles or injuries for other players.

If the Chiefs were to add Simmons, think of him as similar to Olu Fashanu and the Jets last year. The Jets had their two tackles for that season, but injuries resulted in Fashanu getting some play time in 2024. Fashanu played well, and the Jets moved on from their tackles this offseason. If Simmons starts to fall, I would love to see the Chiefs move up to grab him.

3. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

Likely trade partners include Commanders, Browns or Vikings

The Chiefs WR room comes with tons of question marks, with each of their top three receivers (Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, and Rashee Rice) dealing with injuries or facing legal troubles. The Chiefs also lack depth in the WR room and should be looking to draft a guy who can do it all. The team will need to make additions in the WR room and will look to get some consistency from their pass-catching unit, and Egbuka is just that.

It is possible that Egbuka is available for the Chiefs at 31, but if they are sold on his skillset and potential to make plays in their offense, they likely don’t have to move up too far to get him. This year’s wide receiver class is weak at the top, and Egbuka is one of just four total guys with first-round grades on my board. The Chiefs may feel that they need to attack the receiver position, and Egbuka feels like the most realistic option for them to trade up for.

My player comp for Emeka Egbuka is Keenan Allen, as he is an incredible route runner with shifty movement skills that he uses to get open and break tackles. The Chiefs need a guy who can line up inside and out, as well as someone who can get open early on routes to give Mahomes a reliable option. Egbuka’s ability to get open and make plays with the ball in his hands makes him the perfect fit in the Chiefs’ offense for 2025 and beyond.

4. Walter Nolen, Defensive Tackle, Ole Miss

Have to get above pick 22, likely trade partners include Steelers and Buccaneers

Nolen is a guy I have come around to a lot recently and has been rising up my board quite a bit over the last month or two. In 2022, Walter Nolen was the number two prospect in the nation, only behind Travis Hunter, and then went on to commit to Texas A&M. Nolen transferred to Ole Miss for his junior season, where he had a career year and showed an impressive skillset that reignited his draft stock.

In high school, Nolen was listed at 325 pounds but really slimmed down when he got to campus and came in just over 295 at the combine. Despite slimming down, Nolen still maintains a lot of power and is more than capable of using his base strength to win with a bullrush and other power moves. Nolen has a great feel for the game that helps him as a run defender and allows him to use his quickness and power to blow up run lanes.

Nolen may not be the elite, big run stuffer that Chiefs fans are looking for, but he is an incredibly skilled player in his own right. He has the best first step in the draft and is unearthly explosive off the line of scrimmage, which allows him to win early when rushing the passer.

If selected by the Chiefs, Nolen and Chris Jones would form one of the best pass-rushing defensive tackle duos in the NFL. With Nolen’s skillset, he would be a solid fit in the Chiefs’ defense, and if he begins to fall past pick 15, the Chiefs should start making calls looking to trade up.