Chiefs' upcoming top-30 visit with rising defender reveals pattern among Kansas City's latest pre-draft meetings

George is as seasoned as they come, appearing in 65 games across six seasons at Pittsburgh. In that span, he recorded 197 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, four passes defended, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and a 24-yard punt return for a touchdown. In 2024, his peers selected him as a team captain in his lone season as a full-time starter for the Panthers' defense.

What is a top 30 visit?

The "top 30" label refers to one of the 30 allotted pre-draft visits with potential prospects in the coming NFL draft class. Teams invite these prospects to their facilities for meetings with staff and various activities. It's essentially an orientation to NFL life in Kansas City.

The Chiefs utilize their top 30 visits in multiple ways, but it is becoming more noticeable that they reserve several visits for players who outperform expectations during their pro day workouts. Just look at the recent visits for Auburn's Philip Blidi and Tulane's Adin Huntington. Teams don't often spend much time with prospects at pro days and all-star games, and not every prospect is invited to the NFL combine. The visit serves as another touch point with a player they may not have had as much time with during the pre-draft process. It seems like a good strategy for a team constantly unearthing late-round gems.

Some players the Chiefs have selected in the past who have had top 30 visits include Kingsley Suamataia, Rashee Rice, BJ Thompson, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, Nick Bolton, and Juan Thornhill. They've also added undrafted free agents from the visits, like they did with Carson Steele. 

How does Pitt LB Brandon George fit with the Chiefs?

The Chiefs don't need to add a linebacker with eight players at the position currently under contract on the 90-man offseason roster. That said, Drue Tranquill and Nick Bolton are the only players who are under contract at the position when the 2026 NFL season arrives. That brings some appeal to adding a late-round pick or undrafted free agent, especially knowing it might be tough to retain Leo Chenal in 2026. 

George played all three linebacker spots for Pittsburgh last season, with most of his snaps coming at the MIKE spot. He can play that strongside linebacker role that Chenal currently plays in the Chiefs' system, working on the edge for the 4-3 under looks. He has over 1,500 career defensive snaps at the collegiate level, so he's pretty experienced. 

Right off the bat, George would be a four-phase special teamer for Dave Toub, which gives him the propensity to stick around in Kansas City. During his time with the Panthers, he played on the punt coverage, punt return, kick coverage, kick return, and field goal/xp block units.