Analyst's Favorite Chiefs Draft Selection

The Kansas City Chiefs had a quiet, yet effective NFL Draft with a one-spot trade-back in the first round. General manager Brett Veach nailed some of the team’s biggest needs with young, quality prospects that will likely have an early impact on offense or defense immediately.

In the first round, the Chiefs selected potential top tackle prospect Josh Simmons, one of the best players at his position when healthy. Other adequate choices throughout the team’s draft class feature pass rusher Ashton Gillotte, wide receiver Jalen Royals, and linebacker Jeffrey Bassa. It’s hard not to like a draft that features some rookies who could see the field quickly, especially when some of their new teammates are in contract years.

However, there was one player from Kansas City’s draft class who stood out above the rest, according to Pro Football Focus NFL Draft analyst Trevor Sikkema. In the article, he gave his favorite picks for each NFL team from the draft and listed Tennessee interior defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott, the Chiefs' second-round choice, as his favorite selection by the team.

“Norman-Lott boasted some of the best pass-rush efficiency numbers in the class, with an 18.9% pass-rush win rate and an 88.3 PFF pass-rush grade against true pass sets,” Sikkema wrote. “Even if he doesn’t develop into a three-down player, the Chiefs know how to maximize one-gap attacking defensive linemen.”

Sikkema is not wrong about Norman-Lott’s skill set. There is a lot of potential as a run-defending defensive lineman, but he was unable to showcase it consistently. The Volunteers rotated their defensive front consistently, putting Norman-Lott on the field for a majority of pass-rush downs, and were effective, as the PFF grades suggest.

The former Tennessee standout offers a great pass-rush arsenal that puts opposing blockers in a bind, using his length and first-step quickness to overwhelm opponents at the point of attack. This is what the Chiefs were likely to have missed after losing Tershawn Wharton in free agency. The franchise is hoping Norman-Lott can transition and develop into a player just as good or better than Wharton.

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