Chiefs Get 'A' Draft Grade From PFF Analyst Thanks to Good Day 3

On a recent episode of Defending the Kingdom, PFF's Trevor Sikkema gushed over Kansas City's Day 3 draft haul.

Dec 3, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs tight end Jared Wiley (19) celebrates making a two / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs have received mostly good grades for their 2024 NFL Draft performance, and just about everyone is a fan of the value general manager Brett Veach got. Regardless of how much the class will play as rookies, Veach and Co. stayed true to their board and landed some intriguing talents as a result.

In the aftermath of the draft, another glowing review is rolling in. On a recent episode of the Defending the Kingdom podcast, Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus joined to discuss the Chiefs' 2024 rookie crop. He was a big supporter of Saturday's haul, leading off with TCU tight end Jared Wiley.

"Man, I liked a lot of what the Chiefs were able to do on Day 3," Sikkema said. "I mean, I love the Wiley pick because I think it's a really good long-term investment for them. Noah Gray's in the last year of his rookie deal, Irv Smith [Jr.]'s just a one-year deal right now. I know Travis Kelce signed the extension but getting Wiley in the building right now allows him to be maybe a rotational tight end this year, tight end two next year, maybe even tight end one the year after that. I think it's a really nice progression, so I think they did a great job capitalizing on that."

Wiley, who broke out in his final season with the Horned Frogs, was a five-year college player but may still have some untapped potential. His size and natural athleticism helped him produce in 2023, and that should make him a red zone and linear threat at the next level. Veach describes him as a "true combo tight end" who can be "interchangeable" with Gray.

Sikkema didn't stop there, though, also praising the pickups of fourth-round safety Jaden Hicks (No. 133 overall) and fifth-round offensive linemen Hunter Nourzad (No. 159 overall).

"Jaden Hicks, I think, allows them to kind of play that three deep safety rotation the Chiefs have loved over the last couple of years after losing on Mike Edwards, so I really like that one," Sikkema said. "The Hunter Nourzad pick, I felt like Nourzad could've gone a lot higher in this draft. They end up getting him in the fifth round and you could say, 'Well, hold on, the Chiefs already have a great interior offensive line.' Yeah, but this is the type of player who, if any of these guys go down for the short-term, you could plug in Nourzad [and] he could play any spot, either guard or center, and you could get by with it.

"That's somebody you're not afraid to kind of play in a pinch. He's not going to earn a starting role over the guys that are there right now but certainly for this three-peat run, he's somebody who you've got faith in to be able to play right away and not just look completely lost."

As expected, Kansas City's draft class is headlined by first- and second-round picks Xavier Worthy and Kingsley Suamataia. The wide receiver and offensive tackle could play significant snaps in 2024 and be cornerstone pieces if developed properly in the coming months. Trading up cost Veach a third-round pick, so he did the rest of his damage on Day 3 with a collection of picks scattered throughout the board.

Considering all of that, Sikkema gave the Chiefs an 'A' for effort this year.

"Those are a handful of players that really stood out to me," Sikkema said. "I know you kind of asked me to give one, but I give the Chiefs an 'A' draft. And the reason why is because not only do I think they nailed their early picks, I think they nailed the late picks as well. They got a lot of really good value and I just love the fit and the vision for each one of these players."

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