Final Chiefs 7-round NFL Mock Draft: Brett Veach can leverage league quarterback needs into a savvy trade down
The Kansas City Chiefs are perhaps in the perfect position to trade down and out of the first round in the 2025 NFL Draft, leveraging NFL teams' quarterback needs at the bottom of Round 1. Typically, Chiefs GM Brett Veach hasn't had many calls for Kansas City's picks at the bottom of the first round, but […]
The Kansas City Chiefs are perhaps in the perfect position to trade down and out of the first round in the 2025 NFL Draft, leveraging NFL teams' quarterback needs at the bottom of Round 1.
Typically, Chiefs GM Brett Veach hasn't had many calls for Kansas City's picks at the bottom of the first round, but this year could be different. Outside of the consensus top quarterback, Miami's Cam Ward, there's a lack of consensus at the quarterback position, and no lack for teams with quarterback needs. Teams like the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, and even the New Orleans Saints, each picking in the top 10, all have needs at the position. They also seem to recognize that they might be better served picking players at other positions in the top 10 this year.
In this mock draft, the Chiefs are trading down a few spots with the Giants. Kansas City sends picks Nos. 31 and 226 to New York for picks Nos. 34 and 99. Why the Giants, though? The late private workouts with quarterback prospects reek of owner John Mara meddling with GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll. They should probably indulge him, too. If they aren't taking a quarterback at pick No. 3 (and they shouldn't), moving into the bottom of Round 1 to jump the Cleveland Browns at pick No. 33 might be their best possible move. Even for such a small jump, there's some precedent for this type of return.
Baltimore sent a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and a 2019 second-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for their first-round pick (No. 32) and a fourth-round pick in 2018 to acquire Lamar Jackson at the bottom of Round 1. That seems a little rich for this particular draft. Denver sent its first-round pick (No. 31 overall) and a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for their first-round pick (No. 26 overall) in 2016, when they took Paxton Lynch. This feels closer to what Kansas City could net from a team desperate for a quarterback.
With that in mind, here's a look at our final mock draft. . .
NYG 34. Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston
Suppose the Chiefs miss out on the early defensive tackle and offensive tackle prospects, which is a very strong possibility. In that case, I can see them moving back and taking a high-upside cornerback prospect like Hairston. Veach has clarified that premium positions, including starting-caliber cornerbacks, will be on his radar. I also think that the cornerback position is an underrated long-term need in Kansas City, with the entire cornerback room, sans newly signed Kristian Fulton, slated to become free agents in 2026.
Hairston (5-foot-11, 194 pounds) recently accepted an invitation to the 2025 NFL Draft, which increases his likelihood of being a first-round selection. I even wrote about Hairston as a potential surprise pick at the end of the first round for Kansas City:
This draft class has many different cornerback flavors, but Hairston is one of the few to land as a Tier 1 CBaT from the great Craig Stout (if you know, you know). Hairston also received a late first-round grade on the A to Z Sports Top 200 Big Board. He ran a 4.28s 40-yard dash, jumped a 39.5-inch vertical jump, and a 129-inch at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. The 21-year-old is known for his elite ball-hawking ability in zone coverage (six interceptions, three pick-sixes, and 10 passes defended over the last two seasons), but that doesn't mean he can't excel in press coverage at the next level. His hip fluidity and change in direction give him a translatable skill set and make him one of the more exciting prospects in this class.
The team has quietly done some background on the two-time Second-Team All-SEC selection. If you look at Hairston's performance at the Senior Bowl, he came out on the other side with some buzz about his ability in man-to-man coverage. The Chiefs tend to be one of the teams that excel at identifying players who can do more than they were asked to do in college when they attend these All-Star games.
63. Oregon DL Jordan Burch
Burch is criminally underrated in this class because there are just a ton of good edge rushers. Burch isn't just going to align on the edge in Kansas City, though. He's the type with a unique blend of quickness and power, where he can line up over a guard and find success. We all know that Steve Spagnuolo and Joe Cullen love the versatile defensive linemen who can do many different things.
While he is an older prospect at 23 years old, Burch hits all of the ideal size and athleticism thresholds for Kansas City. At 6-foot-4 and 279 pounds, he ran a 4.67s 40-yard dash with a 1.66s 10-yard split at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. Burch posted 31 total tackles, 11 for loss, 32 pressures, 8.5 sacks, and a pass rush win rate of 15.7% in 2024 despite missing four games due to injury.
66. Boston College OT Ozzy Trapilo
While the Chiefs haven't explicitly met with Trapilo, he looks like every other offensive tackle prospect they've met with thus far. He has a massive frame at 6-foot-8 and 316 pounds, but he moves surprisingly well for his size. He put up solid numbers for his size at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine with a 5.21-second 40-yard dash, a 108-inch broad jump, and 22 repetitions of 225 on the bench press. His power shows in his ability to sustain blocks in the running and passing games.
He's got a ton of experience, appearing in 44 games with 36 total starts playing both left and right tackle for the Eagles. He earned First-Team All-ACC honors in 2024 after allowing just 15 total pressures and two sacks in 12 games. He definitely has future starter potential at one of the two tackle spots and could even play a swing tackle role as early as 2025.
95. Colorado State WR Tory Horton
Horton (6-foot-2, 196 pounds) is coming off an injury-marred final season with the Rams, featuring a season-ending knee injury in October that could cause some teams to overlook him. Let's not forget that in 2022 and 2023, Horton put up back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, leading the conference in yards in 2022 (1,131) and receptions in 2023 (96). After Brett Veach's recent pre-draft comments about the types of skill sets the team is looking for at receiver and running back, Horton should be on their radar.
NYG 99. Texas A&M DT Shemar Turner
During Turner's pro day, the Chiefs sent Joe Cullen to work out the Texas A&M defensive linemen in this class. While that hasn't meant much in the past, this time around, it feels notable given what we know about the Chiefs' thoughts on this defensive tackle class. It's full of run-stoppers but lacking talent at the pass-rushing three-technique. Turner has an impressive 7.9% run stop rate, but he is also underrated as a pass rusher. The 22-year-old is listed at 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, and has 83 total pressures, 12 sacks, and three forced fumbles in four seasons with the Aggies.
133. Syracuse RB LeQuint Allen
If the Chiefs miss out on some of the top running back prospects in this class, Allen is the one I'd want to target later in the draft. He's 20 years old and coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons at Syracuse. He also had 100 receptions and 30 total touchdowns over the past two years. He's surprisingly effective as a pass-blocker at 6-foot and 204 pounds. After the fact, he will probably be considered one of the best pass-blocking backs in the class. He's about as well-rounded a running back prospect as you'll find on Day 3.
251. Missouri OL Cam’Ron Johnson
Johnson attended the Chiefs' local pro day in early April and generally seems like a fit for what they typically like at the guard position. He's listed at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds and started 24 games at right guard over the past two seasons with the Tigers. He allowed just four sacks and 28 total pressures during that span. Days after the local pro day, it was reported that Johnson had drawn significant interest from Kansas City. He feels like the type who could be insurance if the team cannot agree to a long-term contract with Trey Smith.
257. Montana State QB Tommy Mellott
I know that Brett Veach said definitively that he wasn't going to take a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, given recent reports that Mellott might pull Julian Edelman at the next level and switch to wide receiver and return specialist, I felt this was a worthy pull of the trigger with the Mr. Irrelevant pick. The 5-foot-11 and 200-pound winner of the Walter Payton Award ran a 4.39s 40-yard dash, jumped a 41-inch vertical, a 124-inch broad jump, a 4.20s short shuttle, and a 6.93s three-cone. That athleticism can definitely translate at the next level.
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