A Questionable Decision Impacted Chiefs' Draft Grade

The Kansas City Chiefs allowed Patrick Mahomes to be sacked more times last season than in any other season in his career. Their struggles along the offensive line directly correlated to their Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kansas City entered the NFL Draft needing to secure one of the best offensive linemen available, which they believe they did with their selection of offensive lineman Josh Simmons late in the first round.

The Chiefs had a productive draft overall. Rob Rang of FOX Sports analyzed and graded every team's draft class. Rang gave the Chiefs an A- for their draft haul, as they addressed their most pressing needs with quality additions.

"Andy Reid gets a lot of credit for the Chiefs' success on game day and justifiably so. But GM Brett Veach delivered a master class on patience and value in the first round, as well, coaxing the Philadelphia Eagles out of a fifth-round pick (which KC ultimately traded to Pittsburgh) to drop a single spot and select Ohio State's Josh Simmons, a talent worthy of a top-15 pick when healthy and filling a huge need at tackle," Rang said.

However, even though the Chiefs did address their offensive line by selecting Simmons in the first round, Rang did not understand why Kansas City did not address their offensive line more throughout the draft, as it was a significant need heading into the draft.

"I was surprised that Kansas City didn't invest more picks on the offensive line the rest of the way, but I love the talent added. Omarr Norman-Lott is a penetrating defensive tackle who can provide immediate juice to the Chiefs' defensive line, with the underrated Ashton Gillotte potentially doing the same on the outside. Middle-rounders Nohl Williams, Jalen Royals, and Jeffrey Bassa were some of my favorite "second-tier" prospects at their respective positions in this class," Rang said.

"The advanced degree of difficulty in drafting for a team that has relatively few holes cannot be overstated. Veach and the Chiefs handled it masterfully, turning in one of the best classes of this year's draft — slipping only slightly because I thought they needed more help along the offensive line." 

Be sure to follow us on X (Twitter) @KCChiefsOnSI and @Domminchella to never miss another breaking news story again.

Click here to let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.