Only one player remains from Chiefs GM Brett Veach's first three draft classes after latest 2025 NFL free agency departure
After two of the Chiefs' most recent departures in free agency, Brett Veach has now lost every member of his first two draft classes in Kansas City.Seven-year veteran Derrick Nnadi left to join the New York Jets, marking the end of the 2018 NFL draft class for the Chiefs. This was a few years in […]
After two of the Chiefs' most recent departures in free agency, Brett Veach has now lost every member of his first two draft classes in Kansas City.
Seven-year veteran Derrick Nnadi left to join the New York Jets, marking the end of the 2018 NFL draft class for the Chiefs. This was a few years in the making after LB Dorian O'Daniel and S Armani Watts left the team in 2021. The top pick of that class, DE Breeland Speaks, had already been out of Kansas City for years.
On Tuesday evening, Super Bowl LVIII hero Mecole Hardman agreed to terms on a deal with the Green Bay Packers. That officially ended the 2019 NFL draft class for Kansas City, assuming the Chiefs don't trade with the Packers to acquire Hardman at the midseason mark as they did in 2023.
With those two departures, the Chiefs have just one remaining player from the combined 2018, 2019, and 2020 draft classes. Times are changing in Kansas City, and it's getting lonely for one specific defender.
Chiefs DE Mike Danna is the last man standing from Brett Veach's first three draft classes
Danna, a fifth-round pick, No. 177 overall in the 2020 NFL draft, is the last man in Kansas City among Veach's first three draft classes. He's in line to be a starter at the defensive end position for Kansas City opposite George Karlaftis for the third year in a row, which is pretty good for a former Day 3 draft pick. However, Danna's contract expires after the 2026 NFL season, so it likely won't be long before we're having this conversation again.
Now, you might be inclined to get frustrated by these facts, but I don't think this necessarily reflects negatively on Veach. We know that his first draft class wasn't particularly good, but four players from the 2019 NFL draft class are still playing meaningful snaps in the league: Hardman, Juan Thornhill (Steelers), Khalen Saunders (Saints), and Nick Allegretti (Commanders).
In 2020's draft class, Kansas City got what they could from players in a challenging scouting year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Veach moved on from L'Jarius Sneed at the right time and will capitalize on that with a high third-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft because of it.
This mostly speaks to how tough it is to keep a team together when it is constantly winning. You have to be prudent with the salary cap and how you distribute funds among the roster. You also have to prioritize replacing specific contracts with younger and cheaper players. Veach has mostly done that and he hasn't been afraid to move on from guys who don't fit into the big picture.
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