Chiefs Land Talented CB Shavon Revel Jr. in Way-Too-Early 2025 NFL Mock Draft

In a recent 2025 NFL Draft projection, the reigning Super Bowl champs add to their secondary by banking on an exciting young cornerback prospect.

Nov 18, 2023; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen wide receiver Regis Velez (84) runs the ball against East Carolina Pirates defensive back Shavon Revel (28) during the second quarter at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Although it's still months away, the 2025 NFL Draft will be here before anyone knows it. Even as NFL clubs have their eyes set on making pushes for the postseason or building momentum for the future, preparing for one of the biggest football events of the year is absolutely in play. That's especially true for the Kansas City Chiefs, who may have limited financial resources at their disposal and will need to hit on multiple picks to sustain their current run of success.

In recent years, general manager Brett Veach has gone in different directions in the first round. Opting for help on offense or defense projects to be in play, and the Super Bowl-winning executive is also known to trade that pick on occasion. If Kansas City keeps its first-round selection, could adding some help in the secondary be an avenue? Considering the club's recent slide on defense, it's worth making a case for.

That's exactly what one draft mind is doing. In his first 2025 NFL mock draft for The Ringer, Danny Kelly has the Chiefs opting for East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. with the 31st overall pick.

"The Chiefs’ already excellent defense could get a boost here," Kelly wrote. "Revel is a tenacious defender who has rare size and length for a cornerback. He shows instincts for finding the ball when it’s in the air and is physical through the catch point, often knocking passes loose. The East Carolina star suffered a season-ending ACL injury in September, but if his recovery goes smoothly, he could be ready to play early in the 2025 season."

Revel was a product of Louisburg College before heading to ECU. His breakout campaign came a year ago, seeing him play in 12 games and set career-high marks across the board. The impressive defensive back recorded 54 tackles (four for loss) and 13 passes broken up with an interception, a fumble recovery and a touchdown. That was good enough to earn Second-Team All-AAC honors from coaches and an All-AAC nod from Pro Football Focus as well.

After being named to several watchlists and coming into his senior season with tons of momentum, Revel played in three games to start this year and had a pair of interceptions with two passes broken up and another score. Unfortunately for the rising star, he suffered the aforementioned torn ACL in practice. With no more opportunities to put quality reps on tape and the serious knee injury bringing his availability for pre-draft testing into question, there are now at least some doubts regarding Revel's status as a definite first-round prospect. The medicals will have to check out with NFL clubs but if they do, there's a ton to like about his profile, especially for a team like the Chiefs.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 193 pounds, Revel has a blend of length and physicality that specific teams will fall in love with. Kansas City is one of them, as defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo opts for press-man coverage more than just about anyone in the league. Revel is willing to work at the line of scrimmage, fight throughout the rep and play the football at the catch point. His physicality also shows up in run support, where he's a more than willing participant. Certain levels of grit, mixed with physical gifts, can't be taught. Adding Revel's plus long speed and verticality into the mix, he offers a lot for professional defenses to utilize.

There are some flip sides to Revel's profile. While his in-your-face nature is largely a good thing, it can come back to bite him sometimes and he's known to draw penalties. Additionally, there are significant questions about the quality of opponents he's faced during his college career. Whether he'll be able to win at the next level with aggressiveness and natural athleticism remains to be seen. Anticipation and on-the-fly processing suddenly become paramount with the jump to the NFL.

Let's get this out of the way: Travis Hunter and Will Johnson won't be available for Kansas City in the first round. Notre Dame's Benjamin Morrison is where the conversation begins, although there's a case to be made that Revel could wind up the first realistic prospect for the back-to-back Super Bowl champs. Multiple factors might be in play here including how the NFL postseason goes, how Jaylen Watson's recovery from ankle surgery unfolds and how Revel's pre-draft process pans out. There's a good chunk of time between now and April.

With that said, it's never too early to get familiar with a prospect whose name will continue to come up.

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