Is Chiefs' Norman-Lott the Steal of the Draft?

Gerald McCoy spent 12 years in the NFL and earned six Pro Bowl selections as a defensive tackle. McCoy looked to his old position and said that Kansas City got the NFL’s steal of Round 2 in Omarr Norman-Lott.

Now an analyst for NFL media, McCoy said he spoke to his former Buccaneers teammate Robert Ayers, now a member of the Volunteers’ coaching staff, long before the Chiefs drafted Norman-Lott.

“He mentioned him like mid-season,” McCoy said. “He was like, ‘G, you should check this guy out,’ because he's not built like a prototypical defensive lineman for what he can do. But he said, ‘Man, he has your skillset. Quick off the ball, long arms, explosive, he can pass rush, he can play the run.’ He said, ‘Somebody just has to teach him how to be a pro.’”

The Chiefs have plenty of teachers, both in uniform and on the coaching staff. Most immediately, associate the Kansas City defensive line with All-Pro Chris Jones, but the defensive front has an under-the-radar individual who greases its wheels.

“I played for Joe Cullen,” McCoy said of the Chiefs’ defensive line coach. “Joe Cullen, he gets around guys, they make pro bowls, they make All-Pros. He coached me. He coached Chris Jones. He coached Calais Campbell. That's what Joe Cullen does. So, I think this is the best fit with Omar Norman-Lott going to Kansas City, getting coached by Joe Cullen. Joe Cullen is an incredible developer.”

Norman-Lott is a unique defensive tackle, and the Chiefs got grades all over the spectrum for selecting him 63rd overall. Slightly undersized at 6-2 and 303 pounds, he started one game in 2024 and played limited snaps. But when he played, he excelled.

“Omarr Norman-Lott was arguably the best true pass-rushing defensive tackle in this draft class,” wrote Mason Cameron from Pro Football Focus. “His 18.9 percent pass-rush win rate led the nation, and his 88.3 true pass set PFF pass-rush grade ranked above the 95th percentile. Norman-Lott plays with violence and speed and should provide the Chiefs with another pass-rushing force to rotate into their lineup.”

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