The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have lengthy centered on constructing by way of the draft and have supplemented the roster with selective free-agent strikes. It was a successful components up till final season, when the NFL’s designed mannequin for parity lastly caught up with the NFL’s finest crew over the past decade.
Even with the Chiefs coming off a down 12 months, it looks like basic supervisor Brett Veach and his employees have caught to their mannequin and are set on rebuilding this crew with the identical tried-and-true philosophy. However for this team-building technique to work, it’s crucial to hit on the draft picks.
Usually, you don’t know if a choose was a wide selection or not till a 12 months or two down the street, and even then, issues can change.
Final summer time, I wrote a overview of the 2024 class, and in it, I gave the collection of Kingsley Suamataia an F and known as it certainly one of Veach’s worst draft picks ever.
Quick ahead one other 12 months, and whereas Suamataia doesn’t seem set as much as develop into a beginning sort out within the NFL, he has made a powerful impression at left guard and fills an essential gap on this offense.
Simply as we did final season, we’ll concentrate on the Chiefs’ prime 4 picks from the 2025 NFL Draft: left sort out Josh Simmons, defensive sort out Omarr Norman-Lott, edge rusher Ashton Gillotte, and cornerback Nohl Williams.
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 06: Josh Simmons #71 of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs drops again to dam throughout an NFL soccer sport towards the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on October 6, 2025 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photograph by Perry Knotts/Getty Pictures) Getty Pictures
LT – Josh Simmons – RD 1 – Choose 32
I virtually really feel like this grade needs to be an incomplete as a result of, though Simmons performed exceptionally effectively when he was on the sphere in his rookie season, he additionally missed 9 video games because of harm and private off-field causes.
And whereas this may occasionally not have been his fault per se, it’s laborious to say that this choice was an A+ when we’ve got but to see Simmons play a whole season.
On the identical time, from a expertise degree alone, Simmons was a house run choice and was fairly clearly the most effective sort out chosen within the draft final season. Which makes something under an A really feel unjust. Simmons has all of the instruments and the soccer IQ to be among the finest linemen within the NFL if he can simply keep on the sphere.
Nonetheless, as of the second of this writing, all programs appear to be a go for Simmons, and for as soon as, the Chiefs have an offseason the place the crew will not be attempting to determine who’s enjoying left sort out, and that alone is value higher than a B+ in my guide.
KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 12: Kansas Metropolis Chiefs defensive sort out Omarr Norman-Lott (55) on the sidelines within the fourth quarter of an NFL sport between the Detroit Lions and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on October 12, 2025 at GEHA Area at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas Metropolis, MO. (Photograph by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures) Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures
DT – Omarr Norman-Lott – RD 2 – Choose 63
A part of what made Norman-Lott an intriguing prospect was his explosiveness off the snap and his skill to hurry the passer; nonetheless, after the Chiefs chosen him, one of many first issues the group instructed him to work on was including weight. Lott weighed 291 kilos on the NFL Scouting Mix, however he performed the season 24 kilos heavier at 314 kilos
Lott was by no means a full-time participant in school, so possibly it was the bounce in expertise. Possibly it was the added weight. Possibly it was lingering accidents he was preventing. However he by no means appeared comfy on the sphere final season, and the explosiveness he exhibited at Tennessee had all however dissipated.
It doesn’t assist issues that Norman-Lott is coming off a torn ACL he suffered towards the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7 of final season. An enormous man getting back from a critical knee harm is lots completely different than one other participant, and it might be an extended street for Norman-Lott to even get again on the sphere, not to mention make an impression.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – DECEMBER 21: Ashton Gillotte #97 of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs seems to be on in the course of the second half of the NFL 2025 sport towards the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 21, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photograph by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Pictures) Getty Pictures
DE – Ashton Gillotte – RD 3 – Choose 66
It’s 2026, and the Chief entered the NFL Draft with the most important want on their roster being a move rusher. That ought to inform you most of what you’ll want to find out about this choice. Whereas he was principally wholesome for the 12 months and made some impression performs on particular groups, Gillotte was a non-factor in an important facet of his job, and that’s attending to the quarterback, mustering simply 1.5 sacks whereas showing in 17 video games final season.
If he had been the reply, the Chiefs wouldn’t have chosen R Mason Thomas with the fortieth choose within the draft this 12 months. It’s not that Gillotte is a nasty participant; he’s a man who can eat snaps, and that’s about it.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 04: Nohl Williams #20 of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs seems to be on after the sport towards the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs 14-12. (Photograph by Candice Ward/Getty Pictures) Getty Pictures
CB – Nohl Williams – RD 4 – Choose 85
With the lack of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, proper now, it seems to be like one of many beginning outdoors cornerback positions shall be manned by Williams. Whereas nonetheless removed from a lockdown nook, he confirmed sufficient in 2026 to earn the teaching employees’s belief and the shot to assert the beginning job on the skin heading into camp. However will probably be as much as him to carry onto it.
Williams makes use of his size effectively and appears to excel in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s press-man protection system. He was extra of a zone protection ballhawk in school, so seeing him make this transition within the NFL has been enjoyable to look at.
With the addition of Mansoor Delane at cornerback as effectively, the Chiefs have an opportunity to boast one of many higher secondaries within the NFL this 12 months.
