The Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the top NFL teams in identifying late-round and undrafted talented during Brett Veach's tenure as general manager.
Each year, they always snag a few players in the latter half of the draft and undrafted free agency who wind up as contributors in the NFL. Entering his seventh season in charge of the personnel decisions for the Chiefs, Brett Veach credits his staff for the work they put in finding the hidden gems year in and year out.
Speaking to Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller on SiriusXM's Movin' The Chains last week, Veach gave credit to his staff for their ability to identify late-round and undrafted talent.
"Yeah, well, our staff has done a ton of work," Veach explained of the draft process. "And I mean, we spend more time on rounds 4, 5, 6, and 7, than we do on 1, 2, and 3, just because there's so much so many of them. I think that's one area where we've been really able to thrive over the years. And we do such a good job, organizationally, of how we kind of construct and put that backboard together for rounds 5, 6, and 7. And that's the cool part of the draft. Because once you get to around 5, 6, and 7, these drafts go in just so many different ways. So, you're always looking at your board when the final pick is turned in, and you're seeing a ton of guys that you had in the sixth or seventh-round, draft picks that are still out there. And were able to quickly identify those guys and go out there and sign them."
Latest crop of Chiefs UDFAs includes players who should have been drafted
Brett Veach told Kirwan and Miller he was surprised to see several players available when Day 3 ended. He named a trio of players out of the Chiefs' latest group of 17 undrafted free agents signed after the 2024 NFL draft, who he feels will have a chance to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster this season.
"As you mentioned, 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, and in both those cases I mean we were really close to just pulling the trigger in either round 6 or 7 we ended up getting both those guys. (Fabien) Lovett another (defensive tackle) 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 is a high-upside athlete at the linebacker position. Driskell is a towering offensive tackle prospect who saw some success in the Sun Belt Conference with the Marshall Thundering Herd. Lovett is a player who probably got dinged by NFL teams for his age, but the tape and numbers prove he can be a solid player at the next level.
It's hard enough to make a Super Bowl roster as a late-round draft pick, but to think that three undrafted free agents could make it in 2024 is a good sign. They haven't even spent a month with the team yet and only have what they saw at the team's rookie minicamp to go off of. It just goes to show that Veach trusts his scouts and their ability to do the legwork when it comes to identifying and adding talent to the team after the draft.
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