As per usual in the Patrick Mahomes era, the Kansas City Chiefs are picking late in the NFL Draft once again, this year at spot 31, the penultimate pick in the first round.
With the fun beginning just days away and mock drafts being spat out from every corner of the NFL world, I decided that rather than bogging you down from analyzing every pick that could potentially be made, I’d simply give you five names most likely to become the newest member of the Chiefs on Thursday night.
1. Missouri WR Luther Burden lll
Measurables: 5’11 – 208 lbs – 4.41 40-Yard Dash
Still just 21 years old and a St. Louis native, Luther Burden is about as explosive as it gets at wide receiver in this draft class, something the Chiefs desperately need. His start-stop acceleration is next level, allowing him to break from defenders, and he has the top-end speed to hit that next gear.
While Burden’s route running can be a bit inconsistent in terms of staying down and maintaining body control, he has shown the ability to win on all three levels with nearly a full route tree.
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 23, 2025
Burden is just as good at taking a screen pass to the house as he is at perfectly tracking and hauling in a deep ball. His yards-after-catch ability is always on display, due to his movement on the field, by eliminating pursuit angles for defenders to bring him down. The ex-Tiger’s game mirrors Jerry Jeudy’s, perhaps less flashy, but with more reliable hands and much nastier.
How he fits with the Chiefs offense is a lot like how Rashee Rice fits, which may be a deterring factor, in terms of wanting to have guys who can do different things. But at the end of the day, if you were to ask me if the Chiefs could have two Rashee Rice’s on the field with Xaiver Worthy stretching the defense, I’m all in.
2. Ohio State OT Josh Simmons
Measurables – 6’5 – 323 lbs – 33” Arms
Simmons is perhaps the biggest question mark in this entire draft. After sustaining a torn patellar tendon in his left knee that robbed him of an excellent start to his 2024 season, Simmons has to prove to teams that he is fully healthy and ready to play in 2025.
A patellar injury is no joke, arguably worse than an ACL tear, but so far, Simmons has impressed teams with how he is moving and the trust he is showing in his knee. While the Chiefs would likely not play Simmons in 2025 after signing Jaylen Moore to a contract this offseason and Jawaan Taylor manning the right side of the line, having a guy like Simmons you could plug in and trust that he’ll play at a high level is quite the luxury to have.
Without the injury concerns, Simmons would probably be a top 10-15 pick this year based on his talent, experience, and size. He’s got really fluid movement inside the box and is light on his feet to play in space and slide against speed rushers.
His hand placement is nearly perfect every snap and is more positional than powerful. Simmons excels at pass protection but needs some more refining on his run blocks and pushing defenders back, nothing a little time in a professional weight room can’t fix. At pick No. 31, the Chiefs selecting Simmons would be a steal that they may have to wait a year to pay off.
3. Ole Miss DT Walter Nolan
Measurables – 6’4 – 300 lbs – 32 ½” Arms
The No. 1 overall recruit in high school, Nolan did nothing but wreak havoc in college, both at Texas A&M for two years and this past year at Ole Miss.
Nolan has NFL-starting size, but his physical traits won’t blow anyone away. He wins on the inside with wicked explosiveness and a twitched-up ferocity that beats blockers when singled up. He’s got great speed off the snap and has enough power to shove opponents out of his way.
Nolan plays big, allowing him to absorb double teams and create mismatches for teammates, which would be a welcome sign on the inside for Chris Jones, who is usually the one getting doubled and sometimes triple-teamed.
Nolan needs to play with more consistent hands to stay clean, and he sometimes can disengage from a block too quickly, rather than seeing the play through. Like any college pass-rusher, Nolan needs refinement and a little more diversity in his technique, but his run defense is among the best in this class.
He doesn’t have the longest arms in the world, but when he grabs hold of you, that’s the end of the road. Nolan excelled in two different defensive systems in college and has the traits to put it all together at the next level.
4. Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr.
Measureables – 6’5 – 245 lbs – 32 ¾” Arms
As exhibited by the Chiefs’ loss to the Eagles in last year’s Super Bowl (sorry to bring that up), you can never have enough pass pushers.
Pearce could go anywhere from pick 20 to 35, and at 31, I think he’d be a very solid choice for Brett Veach. Pearce played three years at Tennessee, the last two being awarded First-team All-SEC, combining for 27.5 TFLs and 17.5 sacks, while playing in every single game.
His game is smooth and very instinctual, no doubt a huge contributing factor to his high-pressure rate in college. Pearce positions himself very well pre-play, which allows him to work around the protection for quick wins. He ran a blazing 4.47 40-yard dash at the combine, and pair that with his speed-to-power push he gets off the line, it’s no wonder why he was so productive.
Pearce’s biggest weakness is in his mass and play strength at only 245 pounds, but as the NFL game is changing, teams are starting to get a little sleeker on the edge, prioritizing speed rather than strength. He can struggle against bigger tackles with longer arms, especially in space, and occasionally gets caught trying to drive back the tackle when he should be holding the edge on run plays. Pearce is not a perfect prospect, but he is certainly worth a first-round ticket.
5. Michigan DT Kenneth Grant
Measurables – 6’4 – 331 lbs – 33 ½” Arms
Grant may just be a little out of the Chiefs’ range, but there are some avenues I could see him making it to 31, or perhaps a small trade up would do the job as well, something Veach isn’t shy to do.
The Michigan Wolverine is your typical broad-bodied nose tackle who can anchor the run game but also has a keen ability to hunt the quarterback.
Physically, Grant is off the charts in terms of power, length, and heavy hands that are hard to shield off. Grant can play in both odd and even fronts and has the ability to both absorb a double team but also split it when his pad level is right.
Technique-wise, Grant needs some work with getting off the line with his first-step quickness, but his raw attributes usually make up for it.
On tape, Grant was a little inconsistent in 2024, but when he tested incredibly well at the combine, and you pair that with his size, guys like him are hard to find in any draft. Grant was Second-Team All-Big Ten Conference two straight years, with over 60 tackles, 11 TFLs, and 6.5 sacks. The Chiefs should target Grant should he start falling into the mid-twenties.
