7-round Chiefs 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Brett Veach attempts to reload after embarrassing loss to Eagles in Super Bowl LIX

The Kansas City Chiefs fell remarkably short in their three-peat attempt against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. 

The Chiefs' main weakness, a gaping hole at the left tackle position, was on full display on Super Bowl Sunday in New Orleans, Louisiana. It has been the thorn in the side of GM Brett Veach since Eric Fisher suffered an Achilles injury ahead of Super Bowl LV. They've found stopgap after stopgap, Mike Remmers, Orlando Brown Jr., Donovan Smith, and Joe Thuney, five different left tackles in five different Super Bowls. But it's far past time for the team to find their solution at the position. 

They've also got plenty of pending free agents set for the 2025 NFL season, with some pretty significant pieces on both sides of the ball. With that in mind, here's a look at what the Chiefs could do in the 2025 NFL Draft come April. 

31. Minnesota LT Aireontae Ersery

I’m admittedly not a big fan of this left tackle class, but Ersery has grown on me throughout the early goings. Pop on his tape against Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter (who might be the best pass rusher in this class and the No. 1 overall pick) and tell me he doesn’t have the makings of a franchise left tackle in the NFL. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, Ersery doesn’t get beat quickly to the outside, and he’s pretty adept at stifling inside moves, too. If Kingsley Suamataia’s future is at the guard position, I’d take a swing on Ersery. Bonus points: He’s a Kansas City native and played at Ruskin.

63. UCLA LB Carson Schwesinger

If the Chiefs say goodbye to Nick Bolton in free agency, which they very well could do, Schwesinger is the guy they need to bring in to replace him. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Schwesinger’s downhill trigger in the run game and against screens is the best I’ve seen since Luke Kuechly. He had a productive season with 136 total tackles, four sacks, and two interceptions. He’s rangy, and athletic, and can be used in several different ways, from blitzes to spying the quarterback. The football IQ flashes constantly, and the film tells me he has the chops to play MIKE at the next level for Spags.

66. LSU DE Bradyn Swinson

Swinson is a bendy pass rusher listed at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds who has a real knack for getting after the quarterback. He recorded nine sacks and 60 pressures during the 2024 college football season with the Tigers. He mostly rushed out of a two-point stance at LSU, but I see much of Frank Clark in his game. Where he’ll need to improve to thrive in Steve Spagnuolo’s system fully is setting the edge and defending the run. But run defense wasn't a problem in Super Bowl LIX, getting after Jalen Hurts was. 

95. Oklahoma NB/S Billy Bowman Jr.

The Chiefs have a knack for finding safeties who have some ability to slot in as nickel corners or outside cornerbacks at the next level (see L’Jarius Sneed, Nazeeh Johnson, and Chamarri Conner). Bowman Jr. could be the next player in that vein. He might be slightly undersized by NFL standards, but he has range on the back end. He could be the next “Honey Badger” for Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, adding another layer of versatility to the secondary.

132. Clemson TE Jake Briningstool

Jack-of-all-trades, but master-of-none type of tight end that could wind up with a long NFL career. At 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, he showed off his receiving chops at the Senior Bowl. He’s strong at the catch point and has good balance and YAC ability. He’s a technically sound blocker, but he's not the most stout. He can probably handle the lighter 3-4 rush linebackers, but he could struggle in the NFL against the bigger 4-3 strong-end types.

256. Arizona RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt

A big winner of the East-West Shrine game, Croskey-Merritt, definitely raised his stock enough to go from undrafted talent to a late Day 3 draft pick. He doesn’t have a whole lot of college tape after eligibility issues saw him sit out most of 2024, but what he did in 13 games with the UNM Lobos in 2023 (189-1190-17) should be enough to pique the interests of Brett Veach.