Laddie Morse
Brett Veach has done it again. He’s put together a winning draft class! He gets better and better and better at this process and it’s one of the big reasons Chiefs Kingdom just celebrated a second Lombardi Trophy in a row… and… one of the big reasons why we’re going for an unprecedented third in a row. Now, now… I know it’s too early to judge a draft class, we may need to wait a few years to do that… properly. However, in the mean time, there are some positives we can affirm about this draft class already. Let’s take a look at each drafted prospect while we do that.
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Pick #28, WR, Xavier Worthy
The Chiefs traded up from pick #32 to pick #28 with the Buffalo Bills — of all teams — and got the man they were hoping to get all along. Now, I’m sure they would have jumped at the chance to draft LOT Joe Alt, but realistically, they knew he’d be gone. Same goes for WR Brian Thomas Jr. and a host of others. So, why were the Chiefs hoping to get Xavier Worthy “all along” ??? Well, he’s fast, really fast, in fact, he set a record for becoming the fastest man in the NFL when he ran a 4.21 40 – yard-dash at the Combine in late February. While a 4.21 is the fastest time ever, Worthy “reached 24.21 mph” according to Callie Lawson-Freeman at YahooSports.com. While Patrick Mahomes and Charles Omenihu responded on Twitter to Worthy’s historic run, it was Tyreek Hill’s response that got my attention. He said:
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The main thing to know about Xavier Worthy is… he’s not just a speed guy who will stretch the field for K.C.. Yes, he can do that too, but if you look at his tape you’ll see a WR who can run the whole route tree. HC Andy Reid compares him to DeSean Jackson more than Tyreek Hill, but pretty soon, coaches will be comparing players to Worthy. Now, that’s worthy of noting (see what I did there?). BTW, Worthy just had a birthday and turned 21 years old this past Saturday (two days ago).
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Pick #64, OT, Kingsley Suamataia
Kingsley Suamataia is from BYU where HC Andy Reid had his first head coaching position back in the early 1980s. I’m sure that connection didn’t hurt at all when it came time to draft Suamataia. In a ChiefsWire.com piece written by John Dillon, he says:
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“Suamataia is a force of nature who has experience at both tackle spots [LT and RT] from his time at BYU. An athletic specimen with even more room to grow, the former Cougar is sure to become one of Andy Reid’s favorite players, given the long-tenured head coach’s experience as a former BYU lineman.”
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Pick #131, TE, Jared Wiley
Some Kingdom fans have already gotten carried away with the idea that Jared Wiley can be the replacement for Travis Kelce, even going so far as to call Wiley, “Kelce 2.0.”
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Wiley may be an inch taller and he might have longer arms that Travis Kelce has, but we’re talking about the greatest TE ever, bar none. The plusses from Wiley include that he played QB in High School which many expect gives him the advantage of reading defenses while at the line of scrimmage before a play unfolds. DraftBUzz.com says of Wiley:
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“Exhibits alignment versatility, proficiently playing as a slot receiver, H-back, and in-line TE, demonstrating his comprehensive understanding of the game. Remarkable ability to separate from defenders, thanks to his combination of speed and route precision. Displays exceptional football IQ, with a natural knack for finding open spaces in the defense. Possesses a large frame and outstanding ball skills, making him a formidable target, especially in the red zone.”
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If Wiley can indeed offers Patrick Mahomes another red zone target on a consistent basis, he’ll be worth his weight in gold… or Lombardi Trophies.
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Pick #133, DB, Jaden Hicks
Jaden Hicks is an excellent pick by the Chiefs. CBSSports.com says of him:
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“Deemed by many to be the top safety entering the 2024 NFL Draft, the Chiefs managed to snare Hicks with one of the final picks in the fourth round. A two-year starter at Washington State, the 6-foot-2 safety is probably more of a coverage option as opposed to a bruiser near the box, but he’ll have time to grow in the secondary with the Chiefs already three-deep at safety.”
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Here’s Jaden Hicks turning into the WR and he takes it away from Ja’Lynn Polk (0:22):
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Pick #159, OL, Hunter Nourzad
With Nick Allegretti signed in Washington, Hunter Nourzad will have his backup work cut out for him. At 6-foot-3 and 317 lbs. Nourzad is the perfect size to play any IOL position. If any of our top three IOL go down or need a breather for any reason at all, Nourzad can step in and we won’t miss a beat. Nourzad would be a starter in any other team but in K.C. he may have to weight awhile to get on the field. Like any other rookie he has things to learn but make no mistake, Nourzad has “starter” written all over him. He played his first two years at Cornell where he played Tackle and then when he transferred to Penn State he moved to Guard and also played Center in one game. That makes Hunter Nourzad a multi-purpose man, a Swiss-Army-knife if you will.
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With both Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith working on a contract-year in 2024, the presence of Nourzad makes the process much easier to deal with for Brett Veach. Yes, I hope both can be re-signed, but the realistic approach is to know that in all likelihood can’t happen. However, with Hunter Nourzad aboard now, that process becomes much easier to swallow.
From Lance Zierlein at nfl.com he says of Nourzad:
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“Broad and powerful with thick hips and adequate length for the position. The Cornell transfer not only possesses NFL-caliber core strength, technique and body control, he also had quality performances against his toughest Big Ten competition. Nourzad has the feel and footwork for all run-blocking schemes and is strong enough to deal with a 0-technique lined up over him. While he’s strong on impact, he needs to be careful about playing too far out over his skis in order to keep from whiffing. His punch and anchor are where they need to be, but the Ohio State game showed he has work to do with twist recognition and response. Nourzad has early starter ability at center.”
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Pick #211, CB, Kamal Hadden
Hadden may be the best prospect besides Worthy. He had an mid-season surgery on his shoulder following the Alabama game so his stock fell a bit. The Chiefs take a risk by drafting him at all but he sounds like he’s ready to go right now. Here he is during the Chiefs media questions this past weekend:
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“The shoulder is great, the shoulder is great. I feel like I’m to a point where I can compete and I can go out there and do my thing. My shoulder is where it needs to be and now it’s just a matter of getting out there and knocking the rust off and getting back to moving and competing with other people, you know, people who are lined up in front of me. That’s where I’m at and we had a great offseason of getting right and getting my shoulder healthy, and everything came how it’s supposed to come. So, my shoulder’s great.
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Some have thought to compare Haden to another Tennessee grad like Eric Berry. W.A. Watts (@ChiefBlindersOn) on Twitter said this of Hadden:
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“Watching Kamal Hadden in a Tennessee uniform made me think of the Chiefs drafting Eric Berry and how great his college highlights were. Hadden is no Berry, but he made some good plays and knows how to get PBU’s.”
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“Career best 90.4 coverage grade in 2023
(5th among CBs) 7.0 passer rating allowed
in coverage in 2023 (lowest among CBs).”
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SportsIllustrated.com also quotes Kamal Hadden as saying this:
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“Tennessee prepared me greatly for the league, sticking with me and helping me grow as a man and helping me grow as a player. They helped me tremendously… just giving me the opportunity to showcase who I am as a player but also as a man.”
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Pick #248, OG, C.J. Hanson
C.J. Hanson played all four years at Holy Cross located in the Boston area. Dane Brugler of the Athletic, via chiefs.com, says this of Hanson:
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“Hanson has the phone-booth quickness to maintain the integrity of the pocket when his hands and feet work in concert… he is a grappler in the run game who is constantly working to gain leverage… overall, Hanson has functional movements and really focuses on the fundamental details of the position.”
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Here’s C.J. Hanson’s RAS:
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Hanson is apparently the first player from Holy Cross to be drafted in the NFL since 1989.
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Looks like Hanson has plenty to work on when he physically joins the Chiefs. What do you think? Do you like this class of draft picks?
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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