2024 NFL draft grades for the Kansas City Chiefs are in.
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has made a name for himself when it comes to the NFL Draft. From first round hits (Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis) to late round diamonds in the rough (Isiah Pacheco and Trey Smith), Veach has had his fair share of impressive draft classes with the Chiefs. On paper, the 2024 draft class appears to be no different. From filling holes to adding depth, Kansas City has had another exceptional draft. Here are my 2024 NFL draft grades for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kansas City Chiefs 2024 NFL Draft Grades
1st Round (28th Overall): Xavier Worthy – Wide Receiver
Grade: A
There were two major holes that needed to be filled on the Chiefs roster: wide receiver and offensive tackle. After his performance at the NFL Combine, Xavier Worthy was a popular pick in mock drafts to fill that first need for the Chiefs. Worthy ran the fastest 40-yard dash in NFL Combine history (4.21 seconds) and everyone decided they needed to take a closer look at the Texas wideout.
What separates Worthy from players like Mecole Hardman and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (speedsters who were underwhelming in their time with the Chiefs) is the fact that he can run a very diverse route tree on top of having track speed. Hardman was much more of a gadget type player, while Valdes-Scantling spent most of his time running deep routes to occupy defenders. While Worthy can (and probably will, at least a little) do both of those things, he can also be a threat at all three levels of the field. His nuanced route running allows him to impact the game in so many more ways than the other two and he should be a very welcomed addition to the offense.
2nd Round (63rd Overall): Kingsley Suamataia – Offensive Tackle
Grade: A+
A lot of post-Combine mock drafts had the Chiefs taking Kingsley Suamataia with their first round pick, so getting him an entire round later is a steal no matter how you look at it. The BYU tackle put on a clinic at the NFL Combine, posting elite scores in the 40-yard dash, broad jump, and bench press, while also having an average vertical and arm length.
Suamataia is a bit raw, having started only 23 games in college. His athleticism allows him to excel at getting to the second level on run plays and getting to his spot in pass protection. He might not be a Week 1 starter due to his lack of experience, but his ceiling is significantly higher than anyone that he will compete with for the starting spot. If he doesn’t start at all in 2024, that means that Wanya Morris took a significant jump from his rookie season. Either way, the left tackle position should be much more reliable moving forward. At the end of the day, protecting Patrick Mahomes should be priority number one for everyone in the Chiefs organization.
4th Round (131st Overall): Jared Wiley – Tight End
Grade: B+
At first, I was a bit skeptical of this pick. Travis Kelce is certainly getting up there in age and his time in the NFL (most likely) is starting to come to an end. However, I was thinking the Chiefs would use a later pick on the position. Considering they should now have three reliable wide receivers along with Kelce, I’m not sure how much 12 personnel we’ll see from the offense this year. However, after digging into Jared Wiley’s profile and a bit of film, I am much more on board than I was at the time of the pick.
Wiley’s build and athleticism is eerily similar to Kelce. Wiley comes in at 6 feet 6 inches and 249 pounds, while Kelce measured 6 feet 5 inches and 255 pounds at the NFL Combine. Their 40-yard dash times are nearly identical, while their vertical, short shuttle, and 3 cone numbers are all very similar.
Obviously, expecting anything close to Travis Kelce production would just be silly and entirely too much pressure on Wiley. I just wanted to point out the similarities between the two. Even on the field, their games mirror each other quite a bit.
Wiley can play the traditional in-line style of tight end if needed, or in the slot and utilize his elite athleticism. He can work underneath in the middle of the field on crossing routes, as well as stretching the field with his speed and size mismatch against defensive backs. While there is no replacing Travis Kelce when that time does come, Wiley may have the best build and traits to provide the same style of play. In the meantime, he gets to learn from one of the very best to ever do it and provide another weapon for Mahomes and this offense.
4th Round (133rd Overall): Jaden Hicks – Safety
Grade: A-
Jaden Hicks’ rookie year might be spent mostly on special teams, but that is due mostly to the Chiefs already having an established DB group on the roster. However, Justin Reid is entering the final year of his contract. With a year under his belt, I think Hicks could give Bryan Cook or Chamarri Conner a run for their money as a starter in 2025.
Hicks is great when playing in the box. He has an ability to be a huge aid in the run game as well as blanketing tight ends in the pass game. When playing high, he is athletic enough to get sideline to sideline on swing passes and out routes. He also possesses good instincts and ball skills. This is the second of three straight picks by the Chiefs that I think could push for starting roles in 2025, while also being productive members of the 2024 team.
5th Round (159th Overall): Hunter Nourzad – Center
Grade: B+
This is the definition of future planning via the NFL Draft. Trey Smith and Creed Humphrey are both entering the final year of their contracts. Joe Thuney is also a cut candidate next off-season, as his dead cap hit of $11 million dollars is significantly less than his $27 million dollar cap hit if they keep him on the roster. My guess would be that at least one of these players isn’t on the roster at this time next year. That’s where Hunter Nourzad comes in.
During his two years at Penn State, Nourzad played both left guard and center. That will give the Chiefs a versatile option on the interior offensive line. Nick Allegretti signed a contract elsewhere this off-season that the Chiefs were simply unwilling to match. I think Nourzad has a great chance to fill the Allegretti role in year one, being the “break glass in case of emergency” interior offensive lineman.
In year two, I think he will have a legit chance of sliding into the starting lineup. My guess would be that he will replace Joe Thuney. The Chiefs will need to free up cap space in order to extend deals for both Humphrey and Smith, and Nourzad could allow them to do that.
6th Round (211th Overall): Kamal Hadden – Cornerback
Grade: B-
I think the Chiefs really like what they have in the cornerback room when it comes to replacing L’Jarius Sneed. Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, and Nazeeh Johnson have all shown flashes at one time or another in their first two years with the Chiefs. However, none of them have had experience as an every down player, and you can never have too many options in the secondary.
Kamal Hadden has good size for a boundary cornerback, with 79th percentile height and 65th percentile weight. That allows him to excel in press coverage and knock receivers off their routes. He won’t wow anyone with his athleticism, but he is good in both man and zone coverage. He also has good instincts and ball skills when the ball is thrown his way. His lack of top tier athleticism could limit his upside and keep him from threatening for a starting spot. However, you can never have too many options in your secondary room.
7th Round (248th Overall): C.J. Hanson – Guard
Grade: B
Did I want the Chiefs to draft a running back with one of their picks? Yes. Am I happy that they didn’t take one and picked up Carson Steele as a UDFA? In hindsight, yes.
With just three offensive linemen under contract past 2024 (only one of which is an interior lineman), I can’t complain about them grabbing another to add to the mix. This was another pick with Brett Veach written all over it. His love for elite athletes was present in nearly every pick this draft, and CJ Hanson is certainly no exception.
Hanson had elite numbers in nearly every NFL Combine measurement. Some of that could be attributed to being a bit slight for an interior offensive lineman. However, for what it’s worth, Creed Humphrey and Joe Thuney are both right in the same height and weight range.
Hanson may never be a starter in the NFL, but if he turns into a reliable backup then it’s a huge win in the 7th round. If anything, he is a body that will be on the roster for at least four years if he plays out his rookie contract.
Overall Grade: A-
This appears to be another Veach masterclass, and these draft grades should reflect that for the Chiefs. Kansas City has already received tremendous production from the 2023 class, and that was without their 1st round pick being much of a factor.
The 2022 class has been a huge hit with Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis being excellent players. Meanwhile, Isiah Pacheco is an above average starting running back. Finally, players like Bryan Cook, Leo Chenal, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, and Nazeeh Johnson are also contributing at high levels.
The 2021 draft netted Creed Humphrey, Nick Bolton, and Trey Smith. The Chiefs’ NFL draft success goes beyond the grades themselves, but I think these examples proves my point.
While I’m not sure this class can compete with the level of production from a class like 2022, this could still be a great haul for the Chiefs.
I think Xavier Worthy is likely a starter in three receiver sets, and probably even two receiver sets if/when Rashee Rice is suspended. Meanwhile, Kingsley Suamataia could very well win the left tackle job before the season starts. However, my guess is that he is a back half of the season starter – or perhaps not until next season.
Jared Wiley won’t start until Kelce retires, but that’s nothing to hold against him. He could be a solid player and should add more value than Noah Gray and Blake Bell. Like Wiley, Jaden Hicks might not see the field a lot in year one before competing for a starting spot in 2025. The same goes for Hunter Nourzad and maybe even CJ Hanson, depending on how the Chiefs handle the contracts of Humphrey, Thuney, and Smith.
Kamal Hadden is my pick to have a limited impact outside of special teams. It’s not that I think he doesn’t have talent. It’s more so that I think the trio of Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, and Nazeeh Johnson will continue to improve. Because of that, it will be tough to usurp them for playing time alongside McDuffie. Regardless, I think Brett Veach and the rest of the Chiefs front office had another excellent NFL draft, and these grades should reflect that. Hopefully these guys can help bring a third straight Lombardi Trophy back to Kansas City.
