NFL Mock Draft: Chiefs Lean Toward Defense

The Kansas City Chiefs have the 31st pick in the upcoming NFL draft. The player they're most mocked to get is Derrick Harmon, who would help them along the defensive line, but it's hard to predict who will be available near the end of the first round.

Josh Edwards is a sports writer who works for CBS Sports, and he recently published a mock draft that goes for the first three rounds. The Chiefs have four picks in the first three rounds and they're predicted to use them on Shavon Revel Jr, Alfred Collins, Dylan Sampson, and Tate Ratledge.

Revel Jr. was actually the pick Edwards gave the Chiefs in a previous mock draft, which shows he is confident the Chiefs will lean towards defense in the first round and they'll make a selection that helps their secondary after losing Justin Reid in free agency.

Revel Jr. would be a good player for them, and he's a very talented prospect whose draft stock has tanked due to an injury he suffered. His situation is similar to that of Josh Simmons, who's also been linked to the Chiefs in many mock drafts. Those are players the Chiefs can take advantage of as they don't need their rookies to start right away, giving them a proper chance to recuperate.

The Chiefs won't make another selection until the end of the second round, that's when they're predicted to take Collins. In 2024, he had 55 total tackles with six passes defended, as well as one sack and one forced fumble.

The Chiefs continue to bolster their defense, as Collins has plenty of experience and would give some help to their pass rushers like Chris Jones and George Karlaftis. This is good value for the end of the second round, as depth is always important.

Their next pick is early in the third round, and this is where they draft Sampson, a running back prospect from the University of Tennessee. This is a deep running back class, and it's the perfect year to draft a player who could eventually replace Isiah Pacheco.

Finally, near the end of the third round, they make the selection of Ratledge. Their first offensive lineman comes at the end of the third round, which wouldn't be favorable for them. I really like the selection of players linked to them through this mock draft, but it doesn't address their biggest weakness. After getting blown out the way they did in the Super Bowl, offensive lineman should be their priority above anything else.

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