Suffice it to say that Patrick Mahomes wasn’t sporting a big smile after Super Bowl LIX after he and the Kansas City Chiefs were thoroughly dominated by Philadelphia. Of course, as long as the superstar quarterback is in place, the Chiefs are going to remain in contention. But after an offseason that failed to adequately address offensive tackle, moved Joe Thuney to Chicago in a trade, and left some other holes, it’s also true that general manager Brett Veach needed to get Mahomes more help in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Always picking at the end of the round in the draft makes things a bit more difficult. However, the Chiefs have largely done a great job at finding value when they’re on the clock. With a more homogenous middle class of the draft in 2025, though, that gave Kansas City an opportunity to make real waves.

They certainly were able to add some real talent, but were they the right moves for the three-time reigning AFC champs? We’ll figure that out as we grade every Chiefs pick from the 2025 NFL Draft.

OT Josh Simmons, Ohio State (Round 1, Pick 32)

Yes, the Chiefs are taking on some risk with Josh Simmons. The former Ohio State star suffered a knee injury that is notoriously difficult to recover from last season, so his health is of the utmost concern. At the same time, you have to trust Veach and the front office to weigh that as well — and if they’re willing to take him 32nd overall, they have to feel comfortable with the injury. If that’s the case, then this is a home run.

If 100% healthy, there’s a non-zero chance Simmons could’ve been in consideration for the top tackle in the entire draft class. He’s a mammoth human being but a nimble one with light feet, strong hands and the ability to be a multi-time All-Pro based on his physical tools and some underrated technique and footwork as a bookend. Again, there is risk with the injury, but the potential of finding Mahomes’ long-term blindside protector here makes it a near-perfect pick.

Grade: A+

DT Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee (Round 2, Pick 63)

Chris Jones remains a game-wrecker on the interior of the defensive line but we also know that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is big on rotating his lineman on that side of the ball. That tested the depth for Kansas City last year and, to put it bluntly, they didn’t pass that test. So taking Omarr Norman-Lott in this spot makes a ton of sense to add more juice to the defensive front moving forward and in a role the Tennessee product is comfortable with.

The Vols also used a heavy rotation that included Norman-Lott this past season, so the expectations are for something similar in terms of usage. What stands out, though, is how disruptive and explosive the prospect is off the line, something that gives bigger more lumbering guards fits routinely. Pairing him with Jones or rotating him in with Jones should amplify the Chiefs pass rush in a major way.

Grade: A-

EDGE Ashton Gillotte, Louisville (Round 3, Pick 66)

To be clear, I like what Ashton Gillotte brings as a player when you break down the tools. He showed off his explosiveness in pre-draft testing and has a truly unique and enticing blend of size, burst and agility off the edge. However, the big question with Gillotte is why that didn’t necessarily translate to getting home while at Louisville. The lack of production makes this a gamble, because there’s something at play with why Gillotte hasn’t necessarily put up numbers indicative of his talent.

Not only is this an early dice-roll at the start of the third round, but I also simply preferred some other options still on the board for the Chiefs in this spot. Princely Umanmielen out of Ole Miss or Landon Jackson out of Arkansas would’ve been preferable for me at this pick. I don’t hate Gillotte, but it does feel like there was a better pick to be made.

Grade: B-

CB Nohl Williams, California (Round 3, Pick 85)

After a bit of a letdown with the Gillotte pick, Veach turned around and delivered one of my favorite selections of Day 2 by taking Nohl Williams out of Cal. The Chiefs cornerback depth was worrisome all of last season following L’Jarius Snead’s departure and Williams can help answer that with a high-end version of the type of corner that Spagnuolo and Kansas City love and have enjoyed plenty of success with.

Williams is built like a prototypical outside corner with great length and solid size. He’s well-versed in press man and shows off like an absolute demon when attacking the football in the air. There is some needed refinement with his hip turns and footwork off the line, but the tools are there for him to be a starter in the Chiefs secondary sooner rather than later after they get to work coaching him up.

Grade: A+

WR Jalen Royals, Utah State (Round 4, Pick 133)

While the Chiefs saw Xavier Worth make major strides toward the end of the year and also brought back Marquise Brown, the 2025 season is an uncertainty for Rashee Rice, both because of his torn ACL recovery and his pending legal situation. So being able to land Jalen Royals, a prospect who many had as a Top 100 player in the draft class, with the 133rd pick is a great addition to add stability to the wide receiver room.

Royals isn’t particularly eye-popping with size, speed or any physical trait. That didn’t stop him from being one of the most consistently productive receivers in the country, though. He’s such a smart player with polished footwork and a feel for the game. He presents a nightmare attacking space against zone coverage and has the nuances down to believe he can have an immediate impact.

Grade: A

LB Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon (Round 5, Pick 156)

Linebacker wasn’t as immediate of a need as many Chiefs fans believed it would be entering the offseason as they managed to re-sign Nick Bolton. However, they certainly needed better depth behind Bolton, something that they are hoping that Jeffrey Bassa can provide eventually. The operative word there, however, is “eventually”.

Bassa is still a bit light after converting from safety and he’s shown a natural feel for the linebacker position. He has nice speed and closing ability in the middle of the field. He’s still learning a bit in coverage but clearly has the movement skills to improve there. Admittedly, Bassa is more of a project than I’d like, but I also can’t argue with the potential at play with this pick.

Grade: B

RB Brashard Smith, SMU (Round 7, Pick 228)

We wondered when Kansas City would address the sneaky need to get more help at running back. They waited until the seventh round but got a fascinating addition to that position group with Brashard Smith. As far as picks in the final round of the draft go, you have to love what this could bring to the table.

Smith converted to running back from wide receiver and was a big-play merchant with LSU. He’s a burner with tremendous speed and his vision is quite impressive in space. There may still be untapped potential too, but the Chiefs get a potential home-run threat out of the backfield that they didn’t quite have this past season.