Kansas City Chiefs 2024 NFL Mock Draft Roundup 4.0
The 2023 NFL season is beginning to heat up, with the Kansas City Chiefs focusing on making a push for the postseason. With that said, work on the scouting front is doing anything but slow down for teams at this stage of the year.
As the calendar comes to a close, 2024 NFL Draft prospects have either finished their seasons or have minimal opportunities remaining to boost their respective stocks. With each passing week before the NFL Scouting Combine in February/March, there's a growing sense of which players are premier talents and which ones could see their names called on Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft. Kansas City figures to have needs at multiple positions, so nailing the limited picks they have is paramount.
With college football winding down before bowl games take place, who could the Chiefs look to add into the fold in the first round next year? Let's take a look at some projections from recent major outlet 2024 NFL mock drafts.
CBS Sports: Jordan Morgan (OT, Arizona)
Chris Trapasso's most recent mock for CBS Sports sends some offensive line help to Kansas City in the first round. Making the All-Pac-12 First Team in his fourth campaign in Arizona, offensive tackle Jordan Morgan allowed just 12 hurries and one quarterback hit in his final collegiate season. With Donovan Smith on a one-year deal and the jury still being out on Wanya Morris, Trapasso believes that Morgan could help shore up the left side of the line long-term:
Morgan is a sizable, athletic pass-pro specialist who'd be a sensible pick in Kansas City, especially with the long-term future in mind.
Pro Football Network: Keon Coleman (WR, Florida State)
A.J. Schulte's first-round mock for Pro Football Network includes a trade-up! The Chiefs sent three picks to the division-rival Denver Broncos in exchange for the No. 14 overall selection. With that pick, Florida State wideout Keon Coleman enters the fold for Kansas City. That's quite a bit too rich, in this writer's opinion, but Schulte expands on his reasoning and projects Coleman as a style of player the Chiefs could really benefit from:
Trade details: The Kansas City Chiefs receive pick No. 14. The Denver Broncos receive picks No. 25, 58, and a 2025 2nd-round pick.
An inter-divisional trade (don’t kill me, Broncos fans)! The Chiefs get desperate to add a top-flight playmaker here and opt to get ahead of a potential wide receiver run later on to take a falling Keon Coleman. Coleman isn’t the best separator out there, but his contested ability and athleticism make him a top-tier X-style wide receiver to give the Chiefs an outside threat.
Pro Football Focus: Xavier Legette (WR, South Carolina)
Trevor Sikkema's December mock for Pro Football Focus lists a player who's been a recurring member of Chiefs mock draft roundups. South Carolina wideout Xavier Legette's fifth-year breakout brings some pause to plenty, although he was also a truly electric option for the Gamecocks in his final collegiate season. Sikkema thinks his size and playmaking ability will take some pressure off Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice:
This is crazy to read, but it’s true: the Chiefs need more firepower on offense. Tight end Travis Kelce is one of the greatest ever to do it, but he is aging. Rashee Rice has been productive as a rookie, but they need more than just those two players, even when they’re on.
Legette stands at 6-foot-3 and 227 pounds and has crazy athleticism for a receiver his size. He would give the Chiefs an advantage they don’t currently have.
The Athletic: Patrick Paul (OT, Houston)
Dane Brugler's mock 1.0 was a highly anticipated one, and it sends Houston tackle Patrick Paul to Kansas City. Paul, like Legette, is a commonly-mocked player for the Chiefs. Outlining the same reasoning as Trapasso's mock, the pick here banks on a long-term solution serving as an investment in protecting Patrick Mahomes:
Donovan Smith is barely a short-term option at left tackle for the Chiefs, and he’s definitely not a long-term solution. Paul isn’t yet a polished player, but he has the length and competitive athleticism to overwhelm defenders once he makes contact.
The 33rd Team: Brian Thomas Jr. (WR, LSU)
Connor Livesay's post-Week 12 mock includes a new name that some in Chiefs circles may not be too familiar with. LSU's Brian Thomas is a long wideout with a ton of production in his junior campaign (60 receptions for 1,079 yards and 15 touchdowns). Thomas is a riser who could help himself out with good testing numbers in the pre-draft process:
It’s no secret the Kansas City Chiefs will look to add to the wide receiver room and LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. would make an excellent addition. Thomas adds size and speed, and he gives Patrick Mahomes the true WR1 he’s lacked since Tyreek Hill departed in 2022.
Sports Illustrated: Paul
Luke Easterling's three-round mock for FanNation NFL Draft also likes the fit of Paul on Andy Reid and Andy Heck's offensive line. The reality of a first-round tackle (on either side of the ball) is a legitimate one whether people like it or not, so it's hard to disagree with the logic here. The Houston offensive lineman is a fringe Day 1 talent with true long-term upside:
Plenty are clamoring for more receivers for Patrick Mahomes, but the Chiefs' biggest need on offense is at left tackle, where they need a true franchise player to protect their star quarterback's blind side. Paul's combination of size, length, and power give him as much upside as any tackle in this year's deep class, and would make him an instant upgrade in Kansas City.
