7 winners and 2 losers from NFL Draft weekend

Now that the Chiefs’ draft class is in the books, let’s evaluate who it impacts the most.

Over the three days of the NFL Draft, hundreds of thousands of spectators cheered their teams’ picks and booed commissioner Roger Goodell, their rivals and the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, after it’s over, everyone is rushing to put grades on every draft class before even seeing them on an NFL field. While the true impact of any draft pick won’t be known for a year (or three), we can speculate on how these drafted players fit within the roster.

Here are a few Chiefs who jump out as being affected by the draft picks — and which rookies are landing in the best place to win a job.

Winners

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Quarterback Patrick Mahomes: If there were ever any doubt that the Chiefs front office was committed to building around the MVP, this draft should shut them down. It was an offense-centric class from the first pick on, adding speed, athleticism and protection for the league’s best quarterback. Two new playmakers and three offensive linemen should help build up the offense’s depth in the short term and raise the long-term ceiling. Mahomes applauded his general manager’s moves via his X account all weekend.

Tight end Jared Wiley: One of the new weapons for the Mahomes-led offense is a big, athletic tight end taken in Saturday’s fourth round. Wiley was among the best at his position in all of college football in both touchdowns (eight) and yards after catch. He lands on a team with the greatest tight end to ever play the game, with a chance to learn, develop and contribute. With his size, Wiley could be a red-zone threat with upside as a blocker. He’s got the former quarterback on his resume that seems to resonate with Chiefs coaching staff, and an offense that is as tight end-friendly as any in the league. He couldn’t have imagined a better landing spot.

Offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia: Many thought he could be an option for Kansas City at pick 32, so he might have been disappointed not to hear his name called until the end of the second round. But that feeling would fade quickly as Kingsley realized he had a unique opportunity to compete for an early role protecting the blind side of the league’s best quarterback. He has every physical trait needed to be a good starter at left or right tackle and a coaching staff that can get him there. It’s the perfect intersection of team need and player fit, making for a fun training camp competition this summer.

Offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad: If there’s one thing the Chiefs look for in an interior offensive lineman project, it’s versatility. If there’s one thing a fifth-round pick likely covets, it’s a defined role to clear a path to a 53-man roster. The former Penn State center joins a Chiefs team looking to replace Nick Allegretti and bolster their depth at both center and guard. Nourzad played basically everywhere across the line for the Nittany Lions and projects as a “high-floor” guy in the NFL who should have a long career with the right team.

Defensive backs Jaden Hicks and Kamal Hadden: The Chiefs have had remarkable success in recent years drafting corners and safeties late in the draft. They get production from a variety of players on low-cost rookie deals with a defensive coaching staff and scheme that bring out the best in corners who have the right mindset and physical tools, even if the rest of the league passed on them. Then, with confidence in the system and talent evaluators, guys have gone on to get paid in free agency. This bodes well for Hicks, who was drafted far later than expected but has the playmaking ability to shine in Spagnuolo’s defense. Hadden was also under-drafted after injuries limited his production in college, but he steps into the Chiefs defense with a real opportunity after the departure of L’Jarius Sneed. Both of these picks help bolster defensive depth and special teams now, with an opportunity for each to earn a bigger role and contract in the coming years as others may move on.

General manager Brett Veach: It feels like the architect of the Chiefs roster is getting good at this whole drafting thing. Veach had a very good read of the board, executing small trade-ups when needed to get the top two targets on Thursday and Friday but being patient on Saturday. The fact that he convinced two contenders (Bills, 49ers) to trade with him without giving up a single pick is insane. Each trade was executed with a pick swap, allowing the team to finish the weekend with their seven-player class and their 2025 draft capital intact. Veach got tremendous value with nearly every pick, especially Suamataia and Hicks. The results will take a while to show on the field, but on paper, this class might rival those from the last couple of years, which led to two Lombardi trophies.

Losers

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Offensive tackle Wanya Morris: They say competition brings out the best in everyone — and, if true, Morris could end up a winner. But he was probably quietly hoping the Chiefs didn’t draft a tackle early. After playing in a handful of games his rookie year, Morris primary competition (Donovan Smith) has yet to re-sign. There should be a training camp competition for the starting left tackle job between Morris and rookie Suamataia. If Suamataia were to win that spot, Morris could take on a swing tackle role or potentially be a candidate to move inside.

Punter Matt Arazia: When the “punt god” signed with the Chiefs and Tommy Townsend left in free agency, Arazia probably felt he had his next NFL job locked down. But, the Chiefs went on to add serious competition for him in UDFA Ryan Rehkow, one of the more productive punters in college football. He was a four-year starter at BYU and a consistent holder for the Cougars. Given that there are some questions about Arazia as a holder, that last point could be important.

There’s officially a punter competition this summer in St. Joseph!