Is the Kansas City Chiefs' next great NFL draft steal at the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl? History shows that he might be

The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing for their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance, but members of the college scouting department have a different task at hand.  The Chiefs have a contingent down in Mobile, Alabama, for the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl to scout some of the top prospects for the 2025 NFL draft. In recent years, […]

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor
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Texas A&M DL Shemar Stewart vs. Alabama A&M LT Carson Vinson.
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The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing for their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance, but members of the college scouting department have a different task at hand. 

The Chiefs have a contingent down in Mobile, Alabama, for the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl to scout some of the top prospects for the 2025 NFL draft. In recent years, Kansas City has often turned to the Senior Bowl to find some of its best players.

The list of Chiefs players on the Super Bowl LIX roster who competed at the Senior Bowl is pretty staggering. It includes guys like Kareem Hunt, Drue Tranquill, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Wanya Morris, Chamarri Conner, Kingsley Suamataia, Jaden Hicks, and more.

With dozens of free agents in the 2025 NFL offseason on the back of another Super Bowl berth, expect that Kansas City won't be able to keep everyone. They'll once again look to the Senior Bowl's latest crop of talent to fill some roster holes and keep their team competitive for the foreseeable future.

Who are some names to know for the Chiefs at the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl?

DL Deone Walker, Kentucky

Listed at 6-foot-7, 340 pounds, with 34.5-inch arms, you won't find a more impressive physical specimen at the Senior Bowl. In some snaps, you'll see Walker as a work in progress without a rush plan who gets too high out of his stance. In other snaps, you'll get a physically imposing game-wrecker who can walk an offensive lineman into the backfield with ease. A coach got caught in the crossfire in practice on Day 1, and he brought that same power and quickness to 11-on-11.

Walker needs refinement, but it's easy to see a limitless ceiling here.

OL Grey Zabel, North Dakota State

The Chiefs could be looking to reinforce their interior offensive line not just for the 2025 NFL season but also beyond it. Trey Smith is slated for free agency, and Joe Thuney is entering the final year of his deal. Zabel's versatility reminds me a lot of Thuney, getting repetitions at C, LG, and RG during 1-on-1 drills in Tuesday's practice sessions and impressing at all three spots. He also played left and right tackle during his college career at NDSU. He could be a true five-position asset at the next level, just like Thuney is currently for Kansas City. 

TE Elijah Arroyo, Miami

The Chiefs need to think about the future of the tight end position, with Travis Kelce closer to the end of the career than the beginning. Last year, they picked up Jared Wiley from the Senior Bowl, but he unfortunately tore his ACL in practice this year. Could they find another tight end from the Senior Bowl in 2025? Arroyo opened some eyes with his 1-on-1 performance during practice on Tuesday. 

At 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds, he had some flashes of very Kelce-esque play against defensive backs where his route-running and burst stood out above the rest.

CB Quincy Riley, Louisville

This 5-foot-10 and 192-pound cornerback prospect has a whole lot going for him. He's cool, calm, and collected against some of the best receivers in this class, showing physicality to compete and locate the football at the catch point. He had some really great repetitions against Iowa State's Jaylin Noel in practice today that emphasized just how good he'll be at the next level.

Is there a Kansas City connection? Riley is coached by Steve Ellis of Louisville, who also notably coached former Chiefs CB Charvarius Ward at MTSU and other NFL players such as Ladarius Webb, Kevin Byard, Reed Blankenship, and JaQuan McMillian. In May 2024, Ellis told A to Z Sports that Riley is the best player he's ever coached. 

OT Carson Vinson, Alabama A&M

An HBCU offensive tackle who is standing on his own at the left tackle position against top-flight talent at the Senior Bowl? Yeah, this could be the steal the Chiefs must find to fix their biggest problem. In the final drill of the day for American team practice, Vinson beat Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart in 1-on-1, a competition that cost the defense 25 push-ups. 

Listed at just a hair under 6-foot-7 and 314 pounds, Vinson made quick work of Stewart, who is one of the most imposing athletes at the edge rusher position this week in Mobile.

RB Brashard Smith, SMU

SMU is always a team that catches my attention for the Chiefs because of its ties to the Hunt family. Smith played wide receiver for the Miami Hurricanes before transferring to SMU to play running back in 2024. His versatility as a rusher and a receiver was apparent on the first day of Senior Bowl practice. 

Listed at 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds, the big question mark will be Smith's ability to pass protect at the next level. If he can get that aspect of his game down during the practice week, the sky is the limit for him at the next level. 

Follow the A to Z Sports NFL team for the best Senior Bowl coverage this week. 

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