On Monday, The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner published a new mock draft that sent a guard to the Kansas City Chiefs with the 31st pick of the first round.

31. Kansas City Chiefs: G Donovan Jackson, Ohio State

A balanced, explosive athlete with very good length, Jackson spent most of his Ohio State career at guard before moving out to tackle in the wake of [Josh] Simmons’ injury — a critical move during Ohio State’s title run. Jackson can be inconsistent with his hands but has the look of a possible long-term starter at guard or tackle.

Does Jackson’s 2024 season sound familiar? It should. It’s exactly what Kansas City’s starting left guard Joe Thuney did during the same season.

And that brings us to the reason why Chiefs fans didn’t riot when the team signed Thuney to an expensive five-year contract less than a week after releasing its starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz: because if Kansas City had then drafted a young left tackle, they would have benefited from playing next to Thuney — and in a pinch, Thuney could play left tackle.

Back in 2021, it didn’t come to that. But if the Chiefs take Jackson with 2025’s opening pick (or trade back and take him early in the second round), the logic of the move would be similar. Jackson would be slated to become the team’s starting left guard — and if recently-signed free-agent left tackle Jaylon Moore doesn’t work out, Jackson has shown that he’s capable of kicking outside. But if Moore can play as advertised, Jackson (who is among the best guards in this class) would help the team maintain one of its strengths: the interior of the offensive line.

Just for the record, Baumgarder’s mock goes through three rounds. With the 63rd pick, the Chiefs take Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson. At 66, the team acquires Ohio State EDGE Jack Sawyer. And then at 95, the Chiefs select Texas defensive tackle Vernon Broughton.