Chiefs' College Scouting Director describes unique traits that stood out for every 2025 NFL Draft pick for Kansas City
When the Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2025 NFL Draft, it was clear they had to nail this class. It's not that they were in jeopardy of being a bad team, but if they really want to bounce back from their Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the draft is a good way to […]
When the Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2025 NFL Draft, it was clear they had to nail this class. It's not that they were in jeopardy of being a bad team, but if they really want to bounce back from their Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the draft is a good way to do so.
And that's especially true when it comes to one of their biggest needs — left tackle. If they want a shot at taking that Lombardi Trophy back, they can't run it back with the exact same situation at left tackle. In the Super Bowl, on the left side alone, there were six blown blocks by both Joe Thuney and Mike Caliendo, with Trey Smith having the other two for KC, per Sports Info Solutions.
Patrick Mahomes can't be under the pressure he was constantly under anymore; the pass rush and run stop need to be better, the secondary has to play a bit better, and the run game could certainly be better. Anything that the Chiefs needed to address in the draft, they did. They found players that fit their needs, while also getting value at those picks.
The Chiefs made sure they were getting the right guys they wanted, too. Every player that they drafted showed a trait that they liked on film, a unique trait. The Chiefs' College Scouting Director, Ryne Nutt, explained what the team saw in every single player they drafted that stood out to them.
It's a lot, so we'll break it down by player:
Chiefs' College Scouting Director on 2025 Class
Josh Simmons, LT
“So, I’ll say (Josh) Simmons first, his feet, and just his balance. Like I said before, his set and how he looks – and he’s a good run blocker, but the pass stuff – I mean, this is a pass league and (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid is a passing coach for the most part. What he looked there in terms of what he could show was impressive and exciting."
Omarr Norman-Lott, DT
"Omarr (Norman)-Lott would be the motor and just the get-off. His get-off is one of the tops in his class, and he can get up the field, he uses his hand – he’s got a move array, so he, as a rusher, was very intriguing."
Ashton Gillotte, EDGE
"The (Ashton) Gillotte kid, oh my gosh, I mean, there are a ton of things with him. He plays 100 miles an hour, and he’s got crazy power for – I mean, he’s got 32” arms, but the kid can knock tackles back like nobody’s business, so that was exciting. For us, if you want to be an elite rusher in this league, you’ve got to have the speed to power move, and that kid does."
Nohl Williams, CB
"Nohl Williams, it would be the ball skills and the instincts, the kid consistently sets himself up to make plays."
Jalen Royals, WR
"The (Jalen) Royals kid would be the RAC, the strong, the speed – the ability to break tackles, those things kind of intrigued us because again, as I said, that’s something we take as a high priority is a receiver's run after catch ability."
Jeff Bassa, LB
"The (Jeff) Bassa kid, outside of the athleticism, it would be – I mean, the kid was instinctive. He’s got a little Nick Bolton to him, or he is in the right place at the right time, he’s super sharp (when) you watch him on tape. For me, the first thing I noticed was that the guy liked directing traffic; he was doing everything. I think (Linebackers) Coach (Brendan) Daly really likes that too because we value smart inside backers, that is a premium."
Brashard Smith, RB
"Then, Brashard Smith, it would be the thing that stood out the most to him is for his size, he is a strong runner and he is tough. He catches the ball really well, I think everyone knows that as a receiver, but just his balance and contact strength are sneaky good.”
Each player did something that stood out, so much so that the Chiefs had to draft them. And that's one of the things that separates these prospects from the rest that were available to the Chiefs whenever they would go on the clock. It's obvious that the Chiefs think very highly of the guys they grabbed — their guys, I should say.
It's things like this that show you how the Chiefs separate themselves from the rest. They have had so many good draft classes, like the 2022 draft class, where they just had to exercise the fifth-year option on both Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis, and this one feels like it could follow the trend of being another good class under Brett Veach's belt.
Biggest concern for Chiefs’ draft pick is a Tennessee Volunteers problem, not an Omarr Norman-Lott problem
The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t concerned about what everyone is concerned about with Omarr Norman-Lott.
