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Super Bowl LIX exposed Kansas City's holes in their roster and the draft has more than enough talent to fill it. Here's a Chiefs 2025 NFL Mock Draft.
Note: 1.31 will mean round one, pick 31. The number before the decimal is the round, the number after is the position they were picked in regards to the entire draft.
1.31: Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
2.63: Trade! The Kansas City Chiefs trade picks 63 and 168 to the New York Giants for picks 65 and 104. With the 63rd and 168th selections, the Giants pick Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky and Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse.
3.65: Josh Conerly Jr, OT, Oregon
3.66: Trade! The Kansas City Chiefs trade picks 66 and 232 to the Cleveland Browns for picks 67 and a 2026th fourth-round selection. The Browns selected Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss with the 66th overall pick. They also selected Jamoi Mayes, WR, Cincinnati with the 232nd pick.
3.67: Trade! The Kansas City Chiefs trade picks 67 and 256 to the New Orleans Saints for picks 71 and a 2026th third-round selection. With the 67th and 256th selections, the Saints pick Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss and Adin Huntington, DT, Tulane.
3.71: Trade! The Kansas City Chiefs trade picks 71 and their 2026th seventh round selection to the New England Patriots for picks 77 and 127. The Patriots selected Jayden Higgins with pick 71.
3.77: Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
3.95: Luke Kandra, OG, Cincinnati
4. 104: Billy Bowman, S, Oklahoma
4. 127: Trade! The Kansas City Chiefs trade pick 127 to the Chicago Bears for picks 149 and 235. With the 127th selection, the Bears select Sebastian Castro, S, Iowa.
5. 149: Theo Wease Jr, WR, Missouri
7. 235: Benjamin Yurosek, TE, Georgia
After getting through a ton of trades, the Chiefs re-enforce their defensive line with Nolan while reinventing their offensive line. Kandra fills in for Trey Smith perfectly and Conerly Jr allows Joe Thuney to return to guard.
This allows Kingsley Suamataia to develop in case he becomes the answer to replace Jawaan Taylor. Patrick Mahomes grabs two reliable weapons with Ayomanor and Wease Jr while Yurosek can help replace Travis Kelce's production while potentially extending his career.
Billy Bowman helps fill out the safety room. Considering the Chiefs are able to move Mahomes' money around with ease, these selections allow Kansas City to let Trey Smith walk while retaining Nick Bolton and Justin Reid.
The Chiefs also have a third and fourth round pick in 2026.
To conduct this draft simulation, we used a simulator provided by our friends at Pro Football Network.
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Cowboys Dealt Unfortunate News Before Panthers Game
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys played arguably their best game of the 2025 NFL season under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, taking down Justin Fields and the New York Jets 37-22 in Week 5. Now, the Cowboys will look for a second straight win in Week 6, facing Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte. Against the Jets, Prescott had his best performance of 2025 as well, throwing for 237 yards and four touchdowns. What made it more impressive is that he did it without four of his starting offensive linemen and All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. The defense was missing a few key pieces as well, with linebacker DeMarvion Overshow still recovering from a 2024 injury and safety Malik Hooker dealing with a toe issue. But in Week 5, Dallas injury problems continued to grow as starting safety Donovan Wilson suffered an undisclosed injury against New York, while linebacker Jack Sanborn, also a starter, left the same game early with a concussion. And the injuries were severe enough to force both players to miss practice on Wednesday. Along with Wilson and Sanborn, running back Miles Sanders, who didn't play against the Jets, was able to participate in practice, but he was forced to leave early. "Did not see Donovan Wilson, KaVontae Turpin or Jack Sanborn at the media’s viewing of practice today," wrote Cowboys staff writer Tommy Yarrish. "Miles Sanders was out there for some of the media’s viewing period, but went back to the locker room early." Despite a 2-2-1 record, the Cowboys have fielded one of the NFL’s weakest defenses this season, allowing a league-worst 412.0 yards per game, and they certainly can’t afford to lose any more players. However, the Prescott-led offense has helped offset those struggles, averaging a league-best 406.6 yards per game. Still, Wilson and Sanborn have proven to be valuable members of Schottenheimer’s defense, ranking among the Cowboys’ top three tacklers through five games. As of Wednesday, their status for the Panthers matchup remains unclear.
New trade target identified for Steelers: 'It would not surprise me'
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a team that has been connected to every potentially available wide receiver in the NFL over the last several years. The fan base has been clamoring for a big move at the position that will bring in another high-level player to pair with DK Metcalf, but it seems like a longshot that that would happen. However, there are some candidates around the NFL that could be moved, especially on teams that have gotten off to a disappointing start to the year. The trade deadline is Nov. 4, so a deal would need to be reached in under a month. Pittsburgh was linked to Tyreek Hill throughout the 2025 offseason, but it never really seemed like a deal would happen. That is especially true after he suffered a horrific season-ending injury. However, one of his teammates could now be an interesting addition to Pittsburgh. Jaylen Waddle has been a really good wide receiver ever since entering the NFL in 2021, but he is stuck in Miami. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote in a recent article that he believes teams will start calling about the wide receiver, and Pittsburgh doing so would make a lot of sense. "League execs are already wondering which struggling teams could enter fire sale mode," Fowler wrote. "In the AFC East, the Jets would have several attractive trade possibilities on the defensive side of the ball, as would the Dolphins on offense. It would not surprise me if teams start to call on Miami receiver Jaylen Waddle if the Dolphins continue to struggle, though I highly doubt Miami would entertain that at this point, especially with Tyreek Hill out for the season." Losing Hill for the entire 2025 season makes it hard to imagine that Miami would part ways with Waddle, but the team is struggling and it is hard to find a path to that franchise succeeding in the near future. Head coach Mike McDaniel seems to be as pre-fired as a head coach can be, and there has been rumblings about the franchise completely cleaning house and moving on from Chris Grier as general manager as well. Waddle arguably had his best season during his rookie year in 2021 when he caught 104 passes for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns, but he broke that single-season yardage and touchdown mark the following season in 2022. He started his career off very well, but injuries and inconsistent quarterback play has made it difficult for him to thrive in Miami. It is completely reasonable to think that Waddle might be open to a change of scenery, while Miami might want to bring in some draft capital to start building for the future. Steelers should be involved in talks for multiple wide receivers Waddle could be an option in Pittsburgh, but another receiver to keep an eye on is Jakobi Meyers. The Las Vegas Raiders are also 1-4, and the team doesn't seem to be getting any better. The quarterback play has not been good, and it is going to be hard to compete in the AFC West after getting off to a horrendous start. Fowler wrote about Meyers being a trade candidate, and about how he expects deals involving wide receivers to happen ahead of the deadline. "One other receiver from a struggling team to watch could be Jakobi Meyers," Fowler wrote. "The Raiders and Meyers couldn't reach a deal before Week 1 despite his trade request, and with the Raiders sitting at 1-4, interest in the player could tick upward. Anyway, there will be much movement leaguewide, and I suspect enough interest in the receiver position to forecast a move or two." Meyers and Waddle would both be welcomed additions in Pittsburgh. However, it is still unlikely for the franchise to be able to land either player. Waddle would carry a very large cap hit with him in 2027 and 2028, and Meyers would need a new extension as the trade is done.
Uncommon Advantage For Steelers' TJ Watt Could Ruin Browns Rookie Dillion Gabriel In Week 6
The Pittsburgh Steelers got through five weeks of the 2025 regular season without facing off against an AFC North opponent. In Week 6, the Cleveland Browns will travel to Acrisure Stadium in a highly-anticipated matchup. While the two teams are on opposite ends of the standings, all of that can be thrown out the window due to the fierce rivalry that will be on display. In recent years, contests between the two organizations have been more talked about than normal because of the presences of both TJ Watt and Myles Garrett. The edge rushers are two of the best in the business. The Browns sit at 1-4 while the Steelers will be well-rested and ready to go with a record of 3-1. If history has taught fans of either team anything, it's that anything can happen when the two squads face off. Back in 2024, Cleveland was 3-7 entering a Thursday Night Football game, but beat an 8-2 Pittsburgh group by a score of 24-19. It was one of Mike Tomlin and co's worst losses of the year. Garrett was an absolute monster in the game with three sacks, three quarterback hits and another three tackles for loss. It was an All-Pro showing for the 2023 AP Defensive Player of the Year. Watt was relatively quiet, contributing just one tackle for loss. The two have a unique rivalry because they will never actually face off against one another, but each guy is trying to have the better performance each time the Steelers and Browns play. Garrett typically moves all around the line of scrimmage and Pittsburgh's offensive line will have to be ready for just about everything, but it is Watt that has a unique opportunity to gain an advantage in Week 6. Cleveland is starting rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft that was pretty consistent in his first ever outing in Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings. Gabriel threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns, but his team wasn't able to get the win. Now, after traveling back from London, the Browns will be tasked with playing in a hostile environment in the Steel City. What makes this a unique chance for Watt to wreak havoc is specifically because of which hand Gabriel throws the ball with. The lefty will not be able to see Watt coming off the edge, as the 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year rarely gets to rush the opposing quarterback's blindside. Jack Conklin consistently has his hands full with Watt when the two franchises play each season, but the right tackle for Cleveland will be feeling a little bit more pressure knowing that Watt could wreck the game at any moment without Gabriel evening knowing what was coming. Conklin returned from injury in Week 5 versus Minnesota, so he may not be completely up to par with where he should be. Watt is a menace no matter who is playing quarterback, but when you add a rookie who is also left-handed, it could get ugly pretty quickly. The Steelers should look to shut down the run early and force Gabriel to throw the football. If Watt is racing in from the blindside, there could be multiple sacks and forced fumbles that end up coming as a result. Steelers Need To Take Care Of Business Against The Browns Pittsburgh is in a great position in the AFC North, but that is all that many fans can talk about after the Week 5 bye. Tomlin teams have had moments when they play down to competition. It will be a great test in Week 6 and not necessarily because Cleveland is a better team, but because it will be a good measurement to see if the 2025 Steelers are the real deal. Watt has a great opportunity to lead the way.
Whether J.J. McCarthy starts against Eagles is about more than his ankle
At this moment, heading into the Vikings' bye week, it's anyone's guess as to whether Carson Wentz or J.J. McCarthy will start at quarterback against the Eagles on Oct. 19. Both QBs are dealing with injuries, so health will certainly be a major factor. McCarthy has missed three games with a high ankle sprain, while Wentz came out of the London game with a banged-up left shoulder. But assuming Wentz's shoulder is fine, whether McCarthy returns to the starting role against Philadelphia will be determined by more than the status of his right ankle. Clearly, the first bar for McCarthy to clear in order to put himself in consideration for the Week 7 start is to show that he's back to full strength. He needs to get in a full week of practice and demonstrate that he can drive off of his back ankle while throwing the ball, as well as move around athletically without any issues. But that alone won't be enough. What Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings also need to see from McCarthy is evidence that he's learned from what went wrong in his first two starts and that he's ready to effectively operate their offense upon his return. That starts, at a basic level, with the fundamentals of his lower-body mechanics. He needs to be dropping back with proper technique and tying his feet to his eyes as he goes through progressions. And then he needs to get the ball out of his hands a lot quicker than he did in his first two NFL starts against the Bears and Falcons. Subscribe: Sign up for the free Vikings On SI newsletter McCarthy salvaged a win in his debut with an incredible fourth quarter in Chicago, but his other seven quarters were largely awful. He threw three interceptions and took nine sacks on 55 dropbacks for an unsightly 16.4 percent sack rate. Among the 37 quarterbacks with at least 50 dropbacks this season, McCarthy ranks 35th in passer rating and success rate, and he ranks 36th in adjusted EPA per play and completion percentage over expected (CPOE). Cam Ward and Joe Flacco are the only QBs who have arguably been worse. It was just two games, so it's certainly nowhere near time to overreact or panic about McCarthy's long-term outlook. He displayed a lot of promising signs throughout training camp, and he needs game reps to develop and show what he can do. But at the same time, O'Connell isn't going to play McCarthy if he doesn't think the 22-year-old is ready to have success, because doing so could risk harming his development. Being injured over the past three weeks gave McCarthy an opportunity to step back and learn from watching veteran backup Carson Wentz, who played very solid football in leading the Vikings to a 2-1 record. In that same sample of QBs, Wentz ranks 17th in passer rating, 13th in adjusted EPA per play and success rate, and sixth in CPOE. Wentz, who has a 10 percent sack rate, was far from perfect over the last three weeks. But he played in rhythm and got the ball to his playmakers, most notably Justin Jefferson (22 catches for 324 yards). A key stat is that Wentz averaged 2.59 seconds to throw (tied for sixth-quickest) after McCarthy was at 3.08 seconds in the first two weeks (fifth-longest). There are a lot of things from Wentz's tape that McCarthy can use to aid his own improvement when he returns to the field, whether that's in Week 7 or not. "He's had some real moments of growth through this time," O'Connell said of McCarthy on Monday. "I think watching Carson, watching the way Carson's kinda gone through progressions quickly, just the value of putting the ball in play, even when it's not your first progression, even when it's not the most exciting completion of all time. ... I think he's kinda taken a lot of that, of just watching it closely and my dialogue with him. "But I think the most critical part is gonna be technique and fundamentals of playing the position the way he worked so hard to build up throughout the spring and the summer. Getting him back into kind of the mandatory nature of certain things from a fundamental standpoint, that will only help him perform at a high level. So I think it's gonna be more about the physical side of his lower-body mechanics and then just trying to put together a game plan for him throughout the practices of how much can he do, what's the soreness level coming out of practices, to try to be able to have most consistent level of a ramp-up we can with him." The Vikings' quarterback situation will be a story to keep a close eye on as we get into next week. It feels like O'Connell might not have any desire to name his starter until after he watches McCarthy over the full week of practice.
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