strengths: Plays with lateral hustle to make back-side & play-side zone blocks. Generates push from lower half on down blocks and double-teams. Maintains active hands & feet to stay in front of the rusher. Keeps his weight back to avoid being countered off-balance in protection.
weaknesses: Run-blocking technique eventually gets away from him. Has issues with hand slippage due to inconsistent placement. Gets beaten inside when he's too eager and oversets the edge.
grade: 6.47 (Will become a good starter within 2 years)
RD 2 (51) C Zach Frazier: West Virginia 6'3", 313
combine: 30reps
2023: 1st All-BIG 12/3rd All-American
strengths: Jolting upper-body power helps widen run lanes with down/secure blocks. Drives opposition into the ground with every opportunity he gets. Uses darting eyes & plus instincts to locate pressure points around him. Punches with good placement and above-average grip strength.
weaknesses: Loses inside hands as a run blocker and ends up with too much hugging. Below-average reactive movement to moving targets in space. Needs to prove he can anchor with more shallow pass sets. Goose could be cooked once the rusher beats him at his edge.
grade: 6.16 (Good backup with the potential to develop as a starter)
strengths: Explosive speed to stretch the field and stress coverage. Defenders struggle to stay with him when the play extends. Good post-catch acceleration on west coast routes to hit big plays. Competitive & focused when catches become contested.
weaknesses: Inconsistent elusiveness to avoid route redirection at press or in space. Routes lack consistent leverage & salesmanship. Needs to get better at quickly setting and presenting on zone throws.
grade: 6.30 (Will eventually become a plus starter)
comp: Marvin Mims Jr
RD 3 (98) LB Payton Wilson: North Carolina St 6'4", 233
strengths: Rangy to find his way into a high number of tackle opportunities. Adequate football intelligence and blocking-scheme recognition. Has the hands & eyes to dart into passing lanes and take the ball away. Burst & lateral agility create blitzing potential for gaming fronts.
weaknesses: Can be too willing to side-step a block rather than play off of it. Plays too upright and gets knocked off balance too frequently. Has an injury history. Lacks play strength and take-on technique to consistently leverage his gap.
grade: 6.32 (Will eventually become a plus starter)
RD 4 (119) OG Mason McCormick: South Dakota St 6'4", 309
combine: 5.08s 40, 35.5"vert, 9'9"broad jump
2023: 1st All-MVFC (Missouri Valley Football Conference)/1st All FCS All-American
strengths: Rare durability. Adequate grip strength to help secure the block. Creates momentum and bangs into opponents on short pulls. Plays with clean eyes & good twist recognition in pass protection. Good upper-body strength to forcibly redirect the rusher on his edge.
weaknesses: Feet are mechanical and lower body is a little too stiff. Poor athleticism reacting to the defender against slants off the snap. Will have a hard time protecting against inside counters.
strengths: Has enough shed strength to match up as a 3-4 end in the pros. Upper-body power to press & extend at the point of attack. Capable of slipping around blocks from half-man positioning.
weaknesses: Lacks mass and play strength needed to grapple inside. Doesn't have the foot quickness to create mismatches inside. Gets pushed off his rush track by punch power.
grade: 5.69 (Candidate for the back of the roster or Practice Squad)
RD 6 (195) CB Ryan Watts: Texas 6'3", 208
combine: 4.53s 40, 40.5"vert, 10'5"broad jump
2023: 38tckls/1TFL, 3PDs
strengths: Traits & experience to transition to safety. Capable of lining up over slot TEs. Booming striker one he locks in and hits it downhill. Works around or through blockers with his run support.
weaknesses: Below-average foot quickness and reactive twitch. Frequently a step slow to turn his head and locate the throw. Questionable deep speed to stay deeper than the deepest.
These players are tied to the Chiefs either through select mock drafts, or visits during the senior bowl, combine, pro days, etc. The summaries come from NFL.com. This list includes players solely connected to the Chiefs who are not also tied to the Steelers or Bills.
OT Patrick Paul: Houston 6'7 1/2", 331
combine: 5.13s 40, 29"vert, 30reps
2023: 1st All-AAC
strengths: Slides quickly down to the B-gap when the edge rusher backs out or twists. Hands are active throughout the rep to maintain feel for the rusher. Has the agility & footwork for recoveries at the top of the rush. Swings quickly from one block to the next on climb-up blocks.
weaknesses: Needs to keep his weight back and his chin tucked in pass protection. Diminishes his length with a lack of consistent track on inside punch. Allows back-side opponents to fight through his cut-off attempts. Doesn't play with enough core strength or grit to be thought of as a block finisher.
grade: 6.22 (Will eventually become an average starter)
comp: Nicholas Petit-Frere
TE Theo Johnson: Penn St 6'6", 259
combine: 4.57s 40, 39.5"vert, 10'5"broad jump
2023: Honorable All-BIG 10, 34rec/341yds/7TDs
strengths: Displays decent lift with his hips/hands when fitting up his base block. Widens his base and runs his feet through initial contact. Runs routes with proper leverage to stem & separate at the break point.
weaknesses: Tends to drift rather than sit down when sinking into zone voids. Waist-bending into run blocks allows edge defenders to slip off and around. Needs to improve his mirror-and-strike talent against moving fronts.
grade: 6.15 (Good backup with the potential to develop as a starter)
TE Ja'Tavion Sanders: Texas 6'4", 245
combine: 4.69s 40
2023: 1st All-BIG 12, 45rec/682yds/2TDs
strengths: Well-coordinated making leaping catches on the move. Frames off defenders and catches with strong hands when contested. Run-after-catch featuring quick vertical burst and getaway speed. Has the tools to become a more effective move blocker.
weaknesses: Inconsistent aggression taking on bigger opponents at the point. Allows defenders to play though his base blocks. Displays consistent break drift on out-breaking routes.
grade: 6.37 (Will eventually become a plus starter)
comp: David Njoku
WR Anthony Gould: Oregon St 5'8", 174
combine: 4.39s 40, 39.5"vert, 10'9"broad jump
2023: Honorable All-PAC 12, 44rec/718yds/2TDs
strengths: Wins with electrifying deep speed and separation burst underneath. Good toughness to beat back ball-challengers through contact. Adds element of danger on punt returns & WR screens. Displays talent to track & adjust to the deep ball.
weaknesses: Plays with some hip tightness that slows ability to sink and stop. Lacks fluidity running more detailed routes. Needs on-frame throws due to lack of length.
grade: 6.23 (Will eventually become an average starter)
comp: Isaiah Mckenzie
OG Christian Mahogany: Boston College 6'3", 314
combine: 5.13s 40, 32.5"vert, 9'1"broad jump
2023: 1st All-ACC
strengths: Has heavy hands to jolt and knock opponents off-kilter early on. Has upper-body power and chippy demeanor to maul & scrap at the point. Consistent use of inside hands bolsters an already sturdy protection anchor.
weaknesses: Pad level suffers from inability to play with consistent bend. Inconsistent contact balance & body control throughout the strain phase. Heavy feet open him to arm-over moves and spin counters. Lacks lateral quickness to slide & mirror with edge-to-edge rushers.
grade: 6.16 (Good backup with the potential to develop as a starter)
strengths: Speed & agility to run routes on all 3 levels. Gets quickly into routes and maneuvers around redirection. Can move the chains with his run-after-catch ability. Quick to adjust his target point against moving targets. Light on his feet with feel for angles as a positional blocker.
weaknesses: Fails to fit up run blocks with much command or force. Needs to drop pad level and play with inside hands more often. A little slow to activate his when throws are on top of him.
grade: 6.13 (Good backup with the potential to develop as a starter)
WR Johnny Wilson: Florida St 6'6", 231
combine: 4.52s 40, 37"vert, 10'8"broad jump
2023: 3rd All-ACC, 41rec/617yds/2TDs
strengths: Active hand-fighter in swatting his way through handsy press. Build-up speed with stride length to maintain some vertical; separation. Flashes late hands and the ability to salvage off-frame throws. Breaks perimeter tackles and rumbles for additional yardage.
weaknesses: Slow feet limit his ability to get off press in & out of breaks. Below-average body control and space creation on 50/50 balls. Route running lacks focus and impact to move defenders. Lacks consistent focus, dexterity & hand strength as a pass catcher.
grade: 5.95 (Average backup/Special teamer)
comp: Devin Funchess
OT Caedan Wallace: Penn St 6'5", 314
combine: 5.15s 40, 31"vert, 9'8"broad jump
2023: Honorable All-BIG 10
strengths: Body control and radar to climb, find & land on LBs. Fits up blocks with proper base and hand placement. Lands on rusher with full arm extension to separate and feel the rush. Does a nice job recognizing twists and sliding feet with inside moves.
weaknesses: Can be too deliberate and telegraphed with his pass punch. Needs to play with lower pads to help find more displacement & push. Can be beaten to the spot by move blocks by NFL quickness.
grade: 6.23 (Will eventually become an average starter)
strengths: Outstanding processor getting from read to read as an outside-zone runner. Can get deep into the line of scrimmage, creating easier cutbacks. Runs with desired level of decisiveness & toughness downhill. Blocks with awareness, toughness & technique protecting his passer.
weaknesses: Tight hips with tight, short strides. Lacks post-cut acceleration, allowing defenses to rally. Ducks & plows prematurely at times instead of searching for more. Must have throws put right on him.
grade: 5.87 (Average backup/Special teamer)
TE Erick All: Iowa 6'4", 252
2023: Honorable All-BIG 10, 21rec/299yds/3TDs
strengths: Agility & athleticism for an expanded route tree. Clean getting into breaks & bursts coming out of them. Good blend of elusiveness and toughness after the catch. Willing to strike with some force as split-zone & lead blocker.
weaknesses: Suffered back to back season-ending injuries. Needs to become more physical to clear himself against handsy coverage. Can make tough catches, but easy ones will slip by at times. below-average grit and sustain blocking at the point of attack.
grade: 6.14 (Good backup with the potential to develop as a starter)
strengths: Decisive downhill charges create a head of steam for what is to come. Possesses elusive features including spin move & lateral jump cut. Good run-through power to break tackles and extend the carry.
weaknesses: Gets into too much of a hurry and rushes ahead of blocking development. Feet fly outside his frame during change of direction, limiting cut fluidity. Below-average press & finesse getting into his run-lane choices. Needs to improve his protection technique to deal with NFL blitzers.
strengths: NFL-caliber accelerator as an outside runner. Flows through run lanes with excellent bend & quickness. Outstanding spatial awareness to create maximum work space as a runner. Usually avoids unnecessary moves and finishes runs when it's time. Good hands & great post-catch wiggle create added value for offenses.
weaknesses: Season ended with an ACL tear. Still learning to press the hole and set up blockers on zone runs. Power into & through contact is just average. Will need to square up rushers and limit lead-shoulder block approach.
grade: 6.38 (Will eventually become a plus starter)
