Chiefs GM Brett Veach drops hints in pre-draft press conference about what Kansas City could do with its first-round pick
Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach held his pre-draft press conference, meeting with local media members on Zoom to discuss things leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft. The key discussion points were: Where does the roster stand after the 2025 NFL free agency period and heading into the draft? Where do the draft's strengths lie? […]
Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach held his pre-draft press conference, meeting with local media members on Zoom to discuss things leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft.
The key discussion points were: Where does the roster stand after the 2025 NFL free agency period and heading into the draft? Where do the draft's strengths lie?
"I think there's always room for improvement. I think that just from a 1000-foot view. I mean, it's probably safe to say I always give you probably too much information on these Zooms," Veach joked. "But I mean, O-Line, D-Line, and corner. I mean, I think the draft has some numbers."
The Chiefs' strategy every offseason is simple. They treat free agency as if there's no draft to ensure they can pick based on value and not reach for needs. There's always a blend of matching that value with premium positions, and even needs to some extent. Veach likes to talk about the various pockets for different position groups in the draft, but free agency ultimately protects them from falling into the drafting for need pitfall come late April.
"We look at free agency like, pretend there's no draft. We have to go out and line up, Week 1 and play. I mean, what do we need? And so bringing more in, and having some depth at corner, and adding another playmaker at running back, were things that we thought would be beneficial. We're certainly not where we need to be. And thankfully, we have the draft.
"So now, when you get to these picks, you're gonna always stick to the value on the board, but you know, within that value, you're gonna stick to the premium position. So, you know, O-Line and D-Line. I mean, if all things are equal, you're gonna always defer to that, and you're gonna continue to build lines and so, like I said, with Jawaan (Taylor) being toward the tail end of his contract, and Jaylon (Moore) being on a smaller contract, these years pass by quick, and before you know, we'll be sitting here talking about, talking on a zoom before the 2026 draft. So, can never have enough of these guys."
The three positions that are seemingly in contention for Round 1 are O-Line, D-Line, and Corner. Further comments from Veach on one of those position groups stand out quite a bit.
Why defensive tackle might precede offensive tackle for Chiefs in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft
Outside of the NFL Draft, Chiefs GM Brett Veach admitted that finding players at three premium positions is extremely difficult.
"Those positions, like O-Line, D-Line, and corner, are hard to find," Veach said. "They're not available in free agency for the most part. I mean, you typically don't find left tackles in free agency or starting corners and stuff, certainly not pass rushing three-techs. So, you get a chance at any point in the draft where you like a guy, you take them, and never have enough of those guys."
The elite left tackles, pass-rushing defensive linemen, and cornerbacks rarely make it to the open market in free agency. That said, the Chiefs acquired players at all of these positions in free agency, with their most substantial investments coming from offensive tackle (Jaylon Moore) and cornerback (Kristian Fulton).
Veach's mention of pass-rushing three-techniques is notable with the loss of DT Tershawn Wharton to the Panthers in free agency. Veach also seems to think that the defensive tackle class isn't quite as strong as it's made out to be regarding numbers.
"So, the defensive line class in general is good," Veach said. "I think that's probably driven more so by the depth at D-End. I think there's a lot of D-Ends. . . I think the interior defensive line numbers are better than most years, but I don't think they come anywhere close to the D-End depth and the corner depth."
If defensive tackle depth is the weakest of all the premium positions, it certainly makes sense that the group could be prioritized earlier than others. With the pass-rushing three techniques in mind, names like Walter Nolen, Derrick Harmon, Darius Alexander, and Omarr Norman-Lott should each be on the radar for Day 1.
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