Chiefs could be big winners after signing UDFA offensive tackle the rest of the league forgot about in the 2025 NFL Draft
The Kansas City Chiefs have taken a blanket approach to addressing their biggest problem of the 2024 NFL season. The left tackle position sunk their chances at a three-peat in Super Bowl LIX, but both offensive tackle positions have underperformed recently. Naturally, they're taking measures to correct these problems in the 2025 NFL offseason and beyond. […]
The Kansas City Chiefs have taken a blanket approach to addressing their biggest problem of the 2024 NFL season.
The left tackle position sunk their chances at a three-peat in Super Bowl LIX, but both offensive tackle positions have underperformed recently. Naturally, they're taking measures to correct these problems in the 2025 NFL offseason and beyond. They picked up Jaylon Moore in the 2025 NFL free agency period and stole Ohio State's Josh Simmons at the end of Round 1. But their moves also extended to undrafted free agency.
The team has continued to hedge its bets with several options that raise the floor of the offensive tackle room, making it more competitive than ever before. As we all know, competition breeds the best results in the NFL.
Did the Chiefs get another future starting offensive tackle in Esa Pole?
One of the Chiefs' first UDFA signings was Washington State OT Esa Pole. The team hosted Pole in Kansas City on a pre-draft visit in the weeks leading up to the draft. While he didn't hear his name called in April's draft, he seems to have landed where he could thrive and compete for a future starting job.
Pole played two football seasons at Chabot College before transferring to Washington State in 2023. Due to a family situation, he didn't play football growing up, so he only has four years of experience, which likely contributed to the 23-year-old going undrafted. He also wasn't invited to the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, which works against players' chances of getting selected.
With the Cougars, the 6-foot-5 and 323-pound tackle started 21 games at left tackle across two seasons. His first season was a bit of an adjustment, allowing three sacks, 30 total pressures, and two penalties in nine games. He bounced back in a big way with the Cougars the following season. On 498 consecutive pass-blocking snaps in 2024, he allowed no sacks and nine pressures and was called for just three penalties.
It's easy to see the vision here for Kansas City. Pole played in an Air Raid offense, which bodes well for his transition to Andy Reid's system in the NFL. He won't have to unlearn many bad habits after picking up the game so recently. If all goes well, he could immediately push guys like Wanya Morris and Ethan Driskell for a job as a swing tackle and a spot on the 53-man roster.