The Kansas City Chiefs have completed Day 1 of the 2024 NFL draft, adding Texas WR Xavier Worthy in a slight trade-up with the Buffalo Bills.
Many talented prospects remain available on both sides of the ball at several position groups as Day 2 gets underway. The team is set to make just one pick on Day 2 at No. 64 (second round) after they traded with Buffalo.
Here are the best available players remaining at each position (except for quarterback) for the Chiefs:
Running back
- FSU RB Trey Benson
- Texas RB Jonathon Brooks
- USC RB MarShawn Lloyd
- Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen
- Clemson RB Will Shipley
- Michigan RB Blake Corum
- Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright
- Notre Dame RB Audric Estime
- Kentucky RB Ray Davis
No running backs were selected in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL draft, leaving this as one of the most talented groups on Day 2. The Chiefs don't have a strong need at this position with Isiah Pacheco as the starter, but they could certainly use a change-of-pace back to pair with Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Brett Veach said ahead of the draft that there isn't a strong depth of talent at this position group, so they might target the position before Day 2 is complete.
Wide receiver
- Georgia WR Ladd McConkey
- Texas WR Adonai Mitchell
- Washington WR Ja'Lynn Polk
- Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley
- UCF WR Javon Baker
- Virginia WR Malik Washington
- Michigan WR Roman Wilson
- Washington WR Jalen McMillan
- North Carolina WR Devontez Walker
- FSU WR Johnny Wilson
- USC WR Brenden RiceRice
- WR Luke McCaffrey
Kansas City already addressed its needs by trading up to select WR Xavier Worthy in Round 1, but they can really put the heat on their wide receiver room to perform by taking another player with a top-100 draft pick.
Tight end
- Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott
- TCU TE Jared Wiley
- Ohio State TE Cade Stover
- Texas TE Ja'Tavion Sanders
- Penn State TE Theo Johnson
- Iowa TE Erick All
The Chiefs have done a lot of homework on the tight end class ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. While this might not be considered a position of need so long as Travis Kelce is in the fold, it's clear the team is thinking about the future of the position after the future Hall of Famer rides off into the sunset with Taylor Swift.
Offensive tackle
- BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia
- KU OT Dominick Puni
- Houston OT Patrick Paul
- TCU OT Brandon Coleman
- Yale OT Kiran Amegadjie
- Notre Dame OT Blake Fisher
- Penn State OT Caeden Wallace
- Washington OT Roger Rosengarten
- Pittsburgh OT Matt Goncalves
Chiefs HC Andy Reid and GM Brett Veach both indicated that competition for Wanya Morris is coming at the left tackle position. It's much more difficult to find suitable candidates to play the position once you get into Day 2. Some prospects are remaining that could give Morris a run for his money or at least develop into a decent swing tackle.
Interior offensive line
- Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson
- West Virginia OL Zach Frazier
- UConn OL Christian Haynes
- Kansas State OL Cooper Beebe
- Kansas OL Dominic Puni
- Boston College OL Christian Mahogany
The Chiefs are completely depleted in terms of interior offensive line depth after the departure of Nick Allegretti in free agency. He was a trusted backup at all three interior positions. Consider the fact that Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith are also in contract years and you can take it to the bank that the interior offensive line is on the menu for Kansas City starting on Day 2 (and possibly again on Day 3).
Defensive end
- Western Michigan DE Marshawn Kneeland
- Alabama DE Chris Braswell
- Washington DE Bralen Trice
- Penn State DE Adissa Isaac
- Utah DE Jonah Eliss
- CSU DE Mohamed Kamara
- UCLA DE Gabriel Murphy
- Houston Baptist DE Jalyx Hunt
There are a lot of cooks in the kitchen for Kansas City when it comes to their pass rush. After back-to-back years with first-round selections (George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah), don't expect this position to be high on their priority list.
Defensive tackle
- Illinois DT Jer'Zhan Newton
- LSU DT Maason Smith
- Ohio State DT Michael Hall Jr.
- Michigan DT Kris Jenkins
- FSU DT Braden Fiske
- Oregon DT Brandon Dorlus
- Clemson DT Ruke Orhorhoro
The Chiefs made re-signing their interior defensive line a priority during the offseason, but they still don't have many multi-year contracts at the position (Chris Jones & Neil Farrell Jr.) They could add another run-stuffing defensive tackle with a run-heavy offense now in the AFC West (Chargers). They could also add a pass-rushing defensive tackle to spell Chris Jones (and allow him to play on the edge with greater frequency).
Linebacker
- NC State LB Payton Wilson
- Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper
- Michigan LB Junior Colson
- Clemson LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
- UNC LB Devin Gray
The Chiefs are likely feeling good about their linebacker group after re-signing Drue Tranquill in free agency. They could add a player on Day 2 or Day 3, but I'd expect a signing or two in undrafted free agency to be the likelier scenario.
Cornerback
- Iowa CB Cooper DeJean
- Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry
- Mizzou CB Ennis Rakestraw
- Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter
- Iowa State CB T.J. Tampa
- Rutgers CB Max Melton
- Michigan CB Mike Sainristil
- Mizzou CB Kris Abrams-Draine
- Kentucky CB Andru Phillips
- FSU CB Renardo Green
- Notre Dame CB Cam Hart
- Louisville CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
- Washington State CB Chau Smith-Wade
The Chiefs traded L'Jarius Sneed to the Titans this offseason. On one hand, it shows they're confident in their cornerback group without him. On the other hand, there's the old NFL adage: You can never have too many cornerbacks.
Safety
- Minnesota S Tyler Nubin
- Georgia S Javon Bullard
- Texas Tech S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson
- Utah S Cole Bishop
- Washington State S Jaden Hicks
- Georgia S Tykee Smith
The Chiefs have a competitive and deep safety room. Even with S Justin Reid entering the final year of his contract, I'd be surprised to see them draft a safety until the later rounds. That is, of course, unless they're a player who can also play nickel.
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