Chiefs solidify their offensive and defensive lines while plugging other holes during NFL draft

By Canadian Press on April 26, 2025.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs general manager Brett Veach saw the same thing that everyone else saw during the Super Bowl: His team was beaten up front on both sides of the ball by the Philadelphia Eagles in a lopsided and humbling defeat.

He certainly took some swings at rectifying the situation in the NFL draft.

The Chiefs used the final pick in the first round on Thursday night to select Ohio State’s Josh Simmons, believed by many to be the most talented offensive tackle in the draft. The biggest reason Simmons fell to No. 32 overall is that he’s coming off a torn patellar tendon, but the Chiefs are confident after their medical checks that he will play this season.

Then, in the second round Friday night, they used the penultimate pick on Tennessee’s Omarr Norman-Lott, who will slide into the middle of the defensive line alongside perennial Pro Bowl tackle Chris Jones.

Throw in another draft pick on the defensive front in the third round — pass rusher Ashton Gillotte of Louisville — and the Chiefs were able to address their most pressing needs before they even reached the middle rounds of the draft.

“Well, certainly there was a lot of discussion about the offensive line following the Super Bowl, and Brett — as he often does — took advantage of free agency to go ahead and reinforce it,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said, alluding to the signing of offensive tackle Jaylon Moore and defensive lineman Jerry Tillery earlier in the offseason.

“That’s one of the best things that he does,” Hunt said, “is he puts us in a position going into the draft where we don’t have to draft based on need, and particularly when you’re drafting as late as we do every year. Taking the best player available gives you a chance of getting somebody who can stick with the organization and make an impact long-term.”

That is exactly what the Chiefs see in their first- and second-round picks.

While all the reports on Simmons’ knee came back positive, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he was unsure exactly what Patrick Mahomes’ new blind side protector would do this offseason. He may sit out the upcoming rookie minicamp, and perhaps the rest of voluntary workouts. But the Chiefs believe he will be on the field when training camp begins in July.

“Again, a lot of work ahead on the football side and on the rehab side,” Veach said, “but we’ve got a great coaching staff, great locker room, great training staff. so we feel good about what we can get out of him.”

Familiar faces

The Chiefs were searching for a pass rusher to complement George Karlaftis, and they wound up with one in Gillotte, who is already familiar with his new teammate. Karlaftis played for defensive line coach Mark Hagen at Purdue, and Hagen left there for Louisville, where he tutored Gillotte last season. The two players have even worked out together.

“(Karlaftis) was watching practice, being like, ‘Oh that’s bad, you’ve got to fix that,’” Gillotte said. “He’s very critical, but in a lot of ways, he helped refine how I pass rush and get to this level to be considered.”

Trading up

The Chiefs believed so strongly in California cornerback Nohl Williams that they sent their 95th pick and a fourth-rounder next year to New England to move up 10 spots and pick him 85th overall. The Chiefs needed help at the position, and Williams certainly was productive in college, picking off 14 passes during five seasons.

Day 3 steal

Some draftniks thought Utah State wide receiver Jalen Royals could go as high as the second round. So when he was still there in the fourth round, the Chiefs grabbed him to help fill out a young but exciting wide receiver room. The Chiefs should get Rashee Rice back from injury this season, and Xavier Worthy is coming off a breakout rookie season.

Depth at linebacker

The Chiefs picked up a fifth-round pick in a first-day trade with Philadelphia, and they used it on Oregon linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, who should provide depth while also having the versatility to play all four phases of special teams.

What else is left

Few teams better filled their biggest holes than the Chiefs did during the draft. They have just one running back signed beyond the upcoming season, so they added SMU’s Brashard Smith in the seventh round. But they did not manage to land a high-profile tight end with Travis Kelce’s future in football uncertain beyond the 2025 campaign.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Dave Skretta, The Associated Press