Brett Veach on Three Chiefs UDFAs Who Could Battle for Roster Spots

On a recent SiriusXM show appearance, Veach gave supreme votes of confidence for three specific players.

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The Kansas City Chiefs' 2024 NFL Draft pickups have hype surrounding them, which is completely warranted. The club's hope is that its undrafted free agent class will also produce a contributor or two at some point.

How about three? Apparently, that isn't completely out of the question. General manager Brett Veach is a fan of the work he and his staff did on that front, locking down some high-end talents who very well could — and perhaps should — have been drafted.

On a recent episode of the Movin' The Chains show on SiriusXM with Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller, Veach mentioned three players with chances to seriously compete this offseason.

"I think there are a few of these guys and we were surprised by a couple of the signings we had," Veach said. "We were surprised a couple of guys didn't get drafted. I mean, the linebacker from Penn State, Curtis Jacobs, the tackle for Marshall, Ethan Driskell. In both those cases, I mean, we were really close to just pulling the trigger in either round six or seven [but] we ended up getting both those guys. (Fabien) Lovett, another [player] from Florida State. Three guys there that, you know, I think all three of those guys we're excited about and all three of those guys can have a chance to earn roster spots this year."

Jacobs might be the cream of the UDFA crop for the reigning champs. The Penn State product is a blazing-fast athlete with plenty of experience under his belt. He can be effective and fluid in coverage or as a blitz option, making him an intriguing piece long-term. Even with Cole Christiansen back in the fold, it's possible that Jacobs dukes it out with him during OTAs, minicamp and training camp for an end-of-roster spot to insulate the linebacker corps.

Standing at 6-foot-8 and boasting arms over 35 inches long, Driskell has the build of someone who can be a developmental tackle prospect. His 10.5-inch hands also help his case. After redshirting in 2019 and working his way up the depth chart, he ended up starting a combined 26 games at left tackle in 2022 and 2023. If he can learn to play lower and react a bit quicker in pass protection, Driskell just may turn into a quality backup.

Last but not least, Lovett came into the draft as a 24-year-old interior defensive lineman who didn't wow anyone during the pre-draft process. He's more of a run-stuffing nose tackle option than a pass-rushing three-tech. With that said, Lovett boasts 35.5-inch tree limb arms and there remains a place for stout run defenders in the modern NFL. If Derrick Nnadi departs following the 2024-25 campaign, that could open the door for someone else to replace some of his snaps.

It doesn't take much imagination to conclude that no one from the aforementioned group currently projects to be a star. Given Veach's history with UDFAs, though, one or more could evolve into role players in due time. The fact that the Super Bowl-winning executive is fond of the 2024 haul already bodes well for the immediate returns.

Soon, it'll be time for the Jacobs-Driskell-Lovett trio to justify the tip of the cap from their GM.

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