Meet the 7 new Chiefs players as part of their 2024 draft class

A quick guide for getting to know the seven new Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs made seven picks this weekend as part of the 2024 NFL Draft. Let’s get to know your seven new Chiefs:

First-round pick (No. 28): Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy

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Worthy is a 5-foot-11, 165-pound wide receiver out of Texas.

Chiefs’ take: “He’s a good route runner, and he’s not a big kid or at least weight wise. He’s got good height. He’s just not very heavy, but I think you’ll see this toughness that he’s got which jumped out at me. When you talk to a coach, (Texas Head) Coach (Steve) Sarkisian and I are close and he kept talking about how smart he was. He’s got great football instincts, and he’s a tremendous worker. And, in this offense, you have to be able to do that and have those characteristics.” – head coach Andy Reid

How he fits with the Chiefs (Ron Kopp): Immediately, Worthy can be a “souped-up” version of the role Mecole Hardman occupied on the team last season. He can run sideline to sideline and also run vertical as the attention goes to other players like tight end Travis Kelce or wide receivers Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice.

Second-round pick (No. 63): BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia

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Suamataia is a 6-foot-5, 326-pound offensive lineman out of BYU.

Chiefs’ take: “He really is a prototype left tackle with his athleticism and length. That’s what we see him as. But he can play both, which is good, having the versatility to do both. We’ve actually seen it. A lot of these guys, sometimes you only see them on the right or you see them on the left, and he’s actually lined up and played both. Having those exposures from an evaluation standpoint, you’ve seen it.” – assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi

How he fits with the Chiefs (Ron Kopp): He will immediately compete with Wanya Morris at left tackle and be in a similar stage of development: both players have strong physical traits, have college experience at both tackle spots and need to refine their skills as pass protectors on the blind side. If Morris develops in these aspects faster, Suamataia would still be a future starter for the Chiefs elsewhere on the line. However, I believe Suamataia can grow into a better left tackle than Morris and would be a strong fit for the Chiefs’ style on offense.

Fourth-round pick (No. 131): TCU tight end Jared Wiley

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Wiley is a 6-foot-6, 249-pound tight end out of TCU.

Chiefs’ take: “Man, he’s a big player. He’s a big frame and for being a big guy, he’s pretty athletic, too. He tests really well. He ran fast. He’s kind of got that sneaky speed because he’s a bigger guy. I mean blocking wise too, you know, this day and age not as many tight ends are that tough, hard-nosed blocker, but he has that ability but he also has that ability as a receiver, like I said, to be a pretty athletic guy too.” – regional scout Jason Lamb

How he fits with the Chiefs (Ron Kopp): Wiley will be 24 years old as a rookie, with the current physical development to immediately contribute in multi-tight end sets. He looks like a traditional Y-tight end, an in-line blocker — but he can be a bigger threat in the pass game than most his size. He can run the crossers and verticals the Chiefs love to use out of any personnel package.

Fourth-round pick (No. 133): Washington State defensive back Jaden Hicks

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Hicks is a 6-foot-2, 211-pound defensive back out of Washington State.

Chiefs’ take: “I think with (Defensive Coordinator Steve) Spags and (Safeties Coach) Donald (D’Alesio), they’re going to utilize his skillset very well. He’s very versatile. He can play at the linebacker depth. He can play the deep middle, free safety. He can play the half. He can play quarters, and he did that at Washington State, too. He can do a lot, and he can do a lot effectively, and that’s what we’re looking for.” – regional scout Greg Castillo

How he fits with the Chiefs (Ron Kopp): The Chiefs have talent at the safety position, but it looks like they are starting to prepare for the future. The team did not elect to bring back Mike Edwards, and Justin Reid only has one year left on his deal. Bryan Cook is coming off a serious injury, and his return will be on the radar. Hicks can come in right away and provide quality depth for the Chief secondary but has an excellent opportunity to be the team’s long-term starter at the position.

Fifth-round pick (No. 159): Penn State offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad

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Nourzad is a 6-foot-3, 317-pound offensive lineman out of Penn State.

Chiefs’ take: “That kid, I was just talking to the guys upstairs about him. He actually started at tackle at Cornell. (He) made the transfer to Penn State, played and started at guard for them, and then this past year made the transfer to Center and started games there all year and had a phenomenal year. You just think about versatility. He’s played four years of college football, and he’s played three positions.” – area scout Cassidy Kaminski

How he fits with the Chiefs (Ron Kopp): The 24-year-old has the experience and in multiple positions. He gives them an option for both center and guard in the future, depending on how the expiring rookie deals of right guard Trey Smith and center Creed Humphrey are handled. In the immediate, Nourzad absolutely has the foundational tools to be solid depth in the same mold as former Chiefs’ lineman Nick Allegretti.

Sixth-round pick (No. 211): Tennessee defensive back Kamal Hadden

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Hadden is a 6-foot-1, 196-pound defensive back out of Tennessee.

How he fits with the Chiefs (Ron Kopp): The Chiefs have hit the jackpot with Day 3 cornerbacks in the past, and they will attempt to do so again with Hadden. There are some injury concerns, but at the very minimum he can be a key special teams contributor.

Seventh-round pick (No. 248): Holy Cross offensive lineman CJ Hanson

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Hanson is a 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman out of Holy Cross.

How he fits with the Chiefs (Ron Kopp): As the second interior offensive lineman picked on Day 3, Hanson will be competing with fifth-round pick Hunter Nourzad to be immediate depth on the interior; The Athletic’s Dane Brugler noted Hanson working “overtime” to show his ability to snap the football during this draft cycle. However, Hanson does not have the same foundation of compact mass that makes Nourzad look prepared to get thrown into the mix in Year 1. Hanson may not be as ready to fill in at a guard or center spot in the immediate future.