Admiration for Kansas City Chiefs star players on full display among prospects at 2025 NFL Scouting Combine
The Kansas City Chiefs have been in the spotlight over the past three seasons, and their popularity was made even more apparent at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. It's not just about the Super Bowl appearances and victories or the wins, but the way their players play the game of football. When asked about their favorite […]
The Kansas City Chiefs have been in the spotlight over the past three seasons, and their popularity was made even more apparent at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
It's not just about the Super Bowl appearances and victories or the wins, but the way their players play the game of football. When asked about their favorite or top players at a particular position, several prospects organically brought up Chiefs players.
"Pat Mahomes, for sure," Alabama QB Jalen Milroe said when asked about his favorite NFL QBs. "Pat Mahomes is a great quarterback. I like him a lot."
When Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart was asked about potentially starting his career behind a veteran quarterback, he evoked Mahomes sitting behind Alex Smith as an example of why it could be a good thing.
"I've never sat on the bench before, so that would definitely be an adjustment early on, but I don't think that's a bad thing at all," Dart said. "I think it's something that you can go into a situation and learn as much as you can. A lot of times, when you're in that situation or playing behind a veteran quarterback who's had a ton of success and just knows a ton about the game. So you've got to be a sponge, and I think that a lot of times, you've seen some of the most successful quarterbacks come out of situations like that. You can bring up Patrick Mahomes. As of late, you know, Jordan Love."
While they'll be willing to block for anyone and any team in the NFL, the offensive linemen in attendance had a sparkle in their eyes when asked about the prospect of blocking for Mahomes.
"I didn't formally meet with them, but it would be an honor," LSU OT Emery Jones said. "Patrick Mahomes is a great quarterback, who I feel like everybody kind of looks up to. He's the standard of the NFL at the quarterback position. It'd be an honor and a blessing to block for him. I'd give it my all."
"That's the young goat, right there," Oregon OT Josh Conerly said of Mahomes. "It would mean the world, and shoot, I'd make the most of the opportunity."
Mahomes wasn't the only one to get a lot of love on the offensive side of the ball. Travis Kelce often saw his name mentioned by the tight end group.
"Yeah, no, I understand he's one of the best to ever do it," Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson said of Kelce. "I like to take a lot of things from his game, especially at the top of his routes. His wiggle. His yards after the catch are amazing. You take a lot of notes from that guy, but I definitely watch a lot of his film."
Michigan TE Colston Loveland was asked about comparisons to Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, taking the humble approach in his response.
“Yeah, I mean it's cool, but I'm not even there yet," Loveland said. "I got a lot to prove so it doesn't mean anything right now."
Chiefs' offensive and defensive trenches get some love too
While Mahomes and Kelce will always take the spotlight, prospects have also noticed the Chiefs' stars in the offensive and defensive trenches.
Asked to name his top three offensive linemen in the NFL right now, Georgia OL Jared Wilson named two players on the Chiefs, including one they just used the franchise tag on.
"Guard? I love Trey Smith," Wilson said. "His aggressiveness, the way he plays the game. And then center, I've got to go Creed (Humphrey). I love Creed. Big Creed."
On the defensive side of the ball, Chris Jones was a favorite among a pair of prospects the Chiefs had formal interviews with.
"I watch Chris Jones," Oregon DT Derrick Harmon said. "How he just grabs wrists, grabs elbows so quick. I feel like that comes naturally to him, just like it comes naturally to me.”
"Chris Jones, I mean, that guy's amazing," Ohio State DT Ty Hamilton said. "Being able to explode the way he did in the past few years, man, he's great. That guy is practically unblockable. So we've been watching him a little bit. The way he uses his hands. He doesn't allow people to touch him."
If you want to understand the true impact of this era of Chiefs football, just look at these comments from prospects. The next generation of NFL players admires, respects, and models their game after the current talent gracing 1 Arrowhead Drive in Kansas City.
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