Been out. I don't know if I'd burn any 1-3 choices on OL in this draft.

Strength is along the DL and early at WR and corner.

If one of the OL slips, sure. I feel like Veach will play to the board. If the DT class pushes someone down I could definitely see a DE/WR or secondary player. I just dont see them taking whats likely a guard at 1.31. The medias be lazy with a lot of those mocks.

Which one? Wouldn't touch the Simmons situation (don't think he was that great pre injury from my limited viewing) and I'm not seeing it with Conley.

I know the Super Bowl shell shocked some folks but this just isn't a LT kind of draft.

This is EXACTLY the case, IMO.

I mean just read the "Trade Whatever for a LT thread" and you can see the initial insanity followed by the slow return to normalcy for some of them.

But not all.

A handful of dudes are still stuck on the idea that we were an LT away from winning that game.

We were not.

Right. There were so many issues in that game. The Eagles did score on them basically at will.

I just keep reading this and I simply do not understand it at all.

He MIGHT have been a top 10 pick. Barely. IF he'd have made it through the conference schedule while demonstrating a progression that we simply never saw.

He was late 2nd into late 3rd projected pick heading into the season. Anywhere from 50 to 100 on the lists I can find. Not a bad prospect, but by no means a stellar one and that was coming off a season as a starter at LT on a very good Ohio State team.

If he were some home run 1st rounder, he'd have popped at that point. He didn't.

Then he goes into the 2024 season, Ohio State beats the hell out of a few bad teams (where he mostly run blocks) and then he gets hurt. Meanwhile Ohio State barely misses a beat.

There's just nohing THERE to demonstrate that he was a top 10 pick. It's pure projection based on beating bad teams. Because that WASN'T the projection on him heading into that season.

It was like a lot of people just hit 'pause' on the season and decided that he was going to continue to ascend from when he got hurt.

In no way that I can see is a better prospect, even when healthy, than Campbell. I don't think he's better then Membou and man why are so many people so down on Kelvin Banks? He looks better than the healthy version of Simmons and by a fair bit, IMO.

A healthy Simmons MIGHT be the 4th best OT in this class. MIGHT be. He might also have gotten knocked around against the actual competition Ohio State played this season and ended up about where he started -- roughly where Donovan Jackson ended up.

I just do not understand this idea that he's some obvious steal who fell because of injury and that injury notwithstanding, he's a blue-chip talent. No, he just wasn't.

Ah hell, Crow said that already.

I mean damn - he pretty much said the exact same thing I did, didn't he? Right down to the Banks thing (seriously, why the hell is Banks slipping? I don't think that's real).

Well I said it a week ago and nobody responded so I'm still taking credit for it....

I’m not referring to what he was at the start of the season, only since February when draft season really began.

Supply and demand is why I think this. Not saying Simmons is an elite prospect. I think he’s good, and quite honestly there’s a tremendous amount of value in that, especially this year. Average LT’s are in huge demand bc there just aren’t very many good ones. It may be worse than QB now bc at least functional QB’s are attainable.

Campbell’s T-Rex arms are a huge deal. I’d bet money that he wouldn’t even be on KC’s draft board bc of that.

Simmons is the only LT prospect in this draft that has what teams are looking for as a complete package at LT. Size, strength, arm length (34 at pro day), technique, footwork. The projection is there despite missing time. Maybe Conerly can be that guy. Maybe. There’s a reason Dane Brugler has Kelvin Banks as a G in his draft guide. A ton of NFL folks think that.

Again there’s always going to be a huge need for competent LT’s. They are exceedingly hard to find these days. And it wouldn’t surprise me if a team like Miami takes that risk with Simmons on Thursday bc of that need.

I have a really hard time just projecting a guy to OG who has been so ****ing good at LT like Banks has been.

The accolades seem to support that he was considered pretty good: This year, he was a First-Team All-American, won the Lombardi Award, won the Outland Trophy, won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy (SEC), and was named First-Team All-SEC.

And then, if you're talking about Brugler, why would he put that guy behind Tyler Booker, who can't block beyond a small phone booth? Tyler Booker is nearly as overrated as Shemar Stewart.

What's the knock? Length? He is 6'5" 315 with 33-1/2" arms. Membou has 33-1/2" arms and has only ever played RT. Campbell has 33" arms. Ersery has 33-1/2" arms.

You mean to tell me he does any more body catching than those guys? Nah. He's less apt to be an OT and riskier on the edges to longer DEs in the NFL? Nah.

Do I think a team could pick Banks and put him at guard because of draft position and need, plus his ability to actually play OT and worries about their OTs? Yes. He could easily go to Miami at 13 or Seattle at 18. Hell, he could go to SF at 11 and play LG for a year then move to LT when Silverback retires.

I don't see him as a guard, though, and I truly don't think the NFL will see him only as a guard. My only knock on Banks is penalties. He had too many of those.

New PFF 7 round mock

31. Kansas City Chiefs: DI Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
Nolen can quickly develop into a disruptive interior defensive lineman in the NFL and is coming off a season at Ole Miss with 26 run stops (second most among PFF big board interior defenders). That's certainly worth taking a chance on at the end of Round 1 for the Chiefs, who have a need on the interior alongside Chris Jones.

63. Kansas City Chiefs: T Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota
Ersery is one of the more experienced left tackles in the Power Five, logging over 2,000 snaps at Minnesota over the past three seasons while earning PFF grades above 73.0 in both pass protection and run blocking during that span. He gives Kansas City a reliable developmental option at left tackle to compete with free-agent addition Jaylon Moore.

66. Kansas City Chiefs (via Tennessee Titans): CB Azareye'h Thomas, Florida State
Thomas is a press-man cornerback (200-plus snaps in press coverage last season) with good size and length. That skill set should be enticing to Kansas City, which utilizes press coverage at one of the highest rates in the NFL. Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams are all in the final year of their current contracts in 2025.

95. Kansas City Chiefs: HB Cameron Skattebo, Arizona State
Skattebo's ability to break tackles (103 missed tackles forced rushing were second to Ashton Jeanty in the FBS) and pick up every yard available should be valued by a team like Kansas City, which has prioritized staying on schedule in the run game over the past few seasons. This is good value for the 50th-ranked player on the PFF big board.

133. Kansas City Chiefs: WR Tory Horton, Colorado State

226. Kansas City Chiefs (via Carolina Panthers): TE Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech

251. Kansas City Chiefs: S Alijah Clark, Syracuse

257. Kansas City Chiefs: WR Konata Mumpfield, Pittsburgh

Link

If it’s not coverly at the end of 1 I’m just not that interested in a T. Ersery is the same thing we’ve taken two years in a row. A project tackle. I know people are talking themselves into it but it’d be hard to expect him to be any more than Kingsley or wanya from my limited viewing.

Was coming in to say the same thing.

If we don't get a guy in the first, take a Logan Thomas type in the later rounds if they are dead set at having bodies at the position in camp. Otherwise, that PFF mock looks pretty tasty.

Right?!?!

If Kelvin Banks "is a guard" then in what universe is there a single OT to come out of this draft?

Length is fine, functional strength is very good. Feet are fine. He's an OT. He was a 3-year starter at OT for a powerhouse program. He's an Outland winner.

I mean better prospects than him have failed at OT and some of them have had nice careers at guard -- there's no telling what the future will hold.

But if some draft head is standing him and Simmons next to each other and your analysis is "Simmons is a prototypical LT and Kelvin Banks is a RG" then I'm gonna be honest, that guy doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

It's just silly.

I don't know if he's a huge project, but he's definitely limited. If that's the type they want to go after, just give me Myles Hinton in the 4th instead. You're getting a better run blocker and a similar plodder in pass pro, but he needs more technique work with his hands and punch.

I'm honestly not all that enamored with taking an OT outside of Round 1 this year. I don't see any of them as better-equipped prospects than what we already have on the roster in Suamataia and Morris. I'd rather go after an OG prospect and keep those 2 developing at OT if that ends up the reality.

Oh and by the way - it barely matters. Kelvin Banks ain't making it to us. If he's there at 24 then MAYBE you'll see us make that trade up with the Vikings to pick him up.

The Chiefs absolutely value Banks over Simmons. I don't doubt that for a second. Because Banks was simply a better player in EVERY way in college. And he was healthy. He was asked to do more than Simmons. He DID more than Simmons. And he did it against better competition than Simmons. Oh, and he didn't break down in the process while also having just turned 21.

It's a moot point but Banks is a substantially better prospect than Simmons and would've been even had Simmons never gotten hurt. And that's why he won't be within range of us.

Yeah, and yet we're seeing these draftnik rankings with Banks as like the 26th prospect and behind Simmons and even Conerly on some boards. It's all a giant WTF.

I love Conerly, but I'd take Banks over him. I feel like he's a better run blocker and the pass blocking athleticism is close. Banks has worse hand placement IMHO and lunges a bit more than I like but he can clean that up.

I never saw Banks as a realistic get for KC, and I really still don't. Lance Zierlein is a really solid OL evaluator, and he has Banks as his #3 OT comfortably. He only has him and Campbell separated by 0.01 on his grading scale.

Luke Easterling (Athlon Sports)
https://athlonsports.com/nfl/2025-nf...dallas-cowboys
1-024 Kelvin Banks Jr, OT, Texas (trade 3-95 to Minnesota to move up)
2-063 Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
3-066 Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee
4-133 Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas

Brent Sobleski (Bleacher Report)
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-dept-rankings
1-031 Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
2-063 Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
3-066 Damien Martinez, RB, Miami
3-095 Cobee Bryant, CB, Kansas

Shane Hallam (NFL Draft Sharks)
https://www.draftsharks.com/article/...--seven-rounds
1-031 Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
2-063 Donovan Jackson, OT, Ohio State
3-066 Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State
3-095 Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee

Kyle Crabbs (The 33rd Team)
https://www.the33rdteam.com/2025-nfl...ll-projection/
1-031 Kelvin Banks Jr, OT, Texas
2-063 Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
3-066 Princely Umanmielen, ER, Ole Miss
3-095 Ty Robinson, DT, Nebraska

Mike Band (NFL Next Gen Stats)
1-024 Kelvin Banks Jr, OT, Texas (trade up with Minnesota)

Brendan Donahue (Sharp Football Analytics)
https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.co...endan-donahue/
1-031 Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State

Lou Pickney (formerly Draft Kings, now his own)
https://www.mockdraftnfl.com/
1-031 Josh Conerly Jr, OT, Oregon

Xavier Cromartie (FF Metrics)
https://ffmetrics.com/5468-2025-1st-...artie-ffm-v3-0
1-031 Josh Conerly Jr, OT, Oregon (might change this was posted 4/14)

I like Shane Hallam’s version the best.

He’s got a ton of experience at LT in the best conference in CFB. Why do you think this kid is being questioned as a LT? Dane Brugler is about the best at draft stuff as any media draft personality and he has him at G. The talk the entire combine was how Banks , Campbell and Membou were probably better at G.

Even the scouts report from Bob McGinn had the scouts either saying he should be a G or strongly suggesting he “fail at LT first” and could “be a RT”.

The analysis on these kids isn’t exactly what you want to hear if you are looking for a left tackle tbh.

As always Crow with the much more polished and well thought out version. And of course some insight on a player much deeper than I study lol. Keep up the great work man!

Any time an OT prospect comes in under 320 and under 6'5", he's going to automatically get tagged with an "or OG" label. Happens every single year without fail. It's like the lab didn't create all of them at 6'6" 325 with 35" arms so they can't be a LT. Hey, a lot of times that's correct, won't say it's not. But then you have guys like Wirfs who got tabbed as an RT or OG. You have Slater. You have Ekwonu. Even Fautanu last year, and then got stuck at RT immediately.

I don't think Banks is going to fail at OT in this league, I just don't.

Did you just put a clip up yesterday talking about how there are going to be 3 top 10 OLs taken and how each of them are premier OT prospects?

Everyone's all over the road here and there's no reason to just presume that Simmons would've just blown past any of them.

The issue isn't Banks in a vacuum -- it's Banks in comparison to Simmons. And there's just nothing about Simmons that's better than Banks. You wanna live and die over a half inch of arm length (when the tape was wonky at the combine to begin with)?

All banks has ever done was be REALLY good at LT even starting as true freshman. And I'm suppose to just handwaive that in favor of what someone who was largely only mediocre over 3 years in college prior to a season where he blew out his patella because he beat the brakes off Alcorn State?

I'm not even completely convinced that Zabel or Milum are 'doomed' to the IOL. Though Zabel also has wingspan issues to go with the arm length which suggests he can't use technique and just being generally broad to help him out the way someone like Banks can.

Banks arms are a little shorter than ideal, yes. But his wingspan is ENORMOUS. Which means he's just a broad dude. And we've seen guys be successful at OT by simply being big enough to take an extra step to get around. And Banks feet are fine -- he's not a slug out there by any means. The wingspan and broad build will play up because of that.

He can -- and will -- be a successful OT in this league, IMO.

I don't know about Zabel and Milum. We're talking two dudes at 32". I think 33" is already pushing it with a guy like Campbell, who is just stellar in almost every other area. If I had to pick one, it'd be Milum, but I think he's going to move to LG and be a Thuney-like rock there. Zabel seems to be a lock to move into OC in the mold of Mitch Morse.

If we can get Banks, sign me the f' up. I don't see how he doesn't go in the top 18 though.

I think those are both the most likely outcomes, for sure.

Zabel, in particular, looks like a C in the making. Most teams likely won't even give him a shot at OT.

I'm just saying that I think draft heads get in a hell of a rush to write some of these guys off. There are some squads that might see a path to a viable OT there.

Zabel's a very tough one, though. I can't complain too loudly about anyone that just calls him an IOL. That length is such a bummer for him because man do I like so much of what else he brings to the table.

He’s going in the top 13. That clip I posted yesterday pretty much confirms that.

And like DJ was saying, he can play, but I am not confident teams want him as a LT. It seems he’s gonna be a RT or possibly G.

I really like Banks. I’m just not sure where the talk of a weak class is coming from? It’s most likely arm length if I had to guess

Well to your point, I think it's the lack of prototypical LT sorts.

It's a weak LT class if Banks, Membou and Campbell are RTs.

And there's no Joe Alt at the top of it.

'Tackles' it's a pretty ordinary class but weaker at LT unless a couple of those guys stick at LT.

I just see no reason to say any of them can't and Simmons is a prototype. A half inch of arm length? Because it ain't experience or movement skills.

It's why I keep saying that he's not getting the full roto rooter treatment that a healthier player would've gotten. People stop at the injury. But had he been healthy, I see no reason to presume he's any more likely to stick at LT than the 'big 3' from the class.

Not sure where to put this, but in Schefter's podcast, he said Pittsburgh is absolutely willing to move back from 21. That opens a trade door. It's rare that Pittsburgh trades down.

Edit:

Here's the excerpt from his column as well:

For giggles, ran that through Dunc's sim.

We had to deal 31 and 66 for 21. The following are on the board:

Pearce
Emmanwori
Simmons
Starks
Grant
Harmon
Nolen
Egbuka
Burden

Who's the pick and was it worth it?

Oooff. Talk about a tough call.

I probably go Harmon, but man oh man, Burden or Egbuka would be SO tempting. Probably too tempting for me to skip one of them. How's Harmon's medicals, again??

The other thing he talked about at length in the podcast was that teams aren't making deals that much because they feel the meat and potatoes of this draft are in rounds 2 and 3 and that players selected anywhere after the middle of round 1 are probably going to be the same around pick 100 before it really drops off.

So, would it be worth it? Doubtful.

For the guys wanting a Nolen or a Harmon or Williams, that might be a doorway. Maybe even a Banks if he slips.

Nolen might be the only player I'd do it for out of that group.

Took Nolen, both Egbuka and Burden were there at 31.

Have a feeling I'm going to hate R2/3 because I'm missing out on someone unless I can trade back.

And Burch went the pick before me.

****.

EDIT: Yep, I hate it.

Yeah - I'd consider it for Nolen.

Maaaaaaaaybe Harmon because I think he fits better alongside Jones than Nolen, but Nolen's long-term upside is just so high.

That's it, though. And I'd need to get Harmon on a visit to see his medicals and address whatever that may be before I put him on that list.

Peter Schrager’s first and final mock.

#31. James Pearce Jr., Edge, Tennessee

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/s...ders-ward-dart

I don't see Spags signing off on an undersized one-trick pony who can't set the edge against the run. That's a big deal for his DEs, and if they can't, they don't play. It's really that simple.

Yeah, have a hard time seeing that.

There is zero chance we take James Pearce.

A theory I heard was an interesting one -- that Veach got Uche as a pressure test of sorts for the coaching staff. To see what they'd do with a player like that if they had one.

We got our answer pretty clearly.

They don't want James Pearce. They had a version of him that they wouldn't even put on the field in obvious pass rush downs; a veteran who's produced in the league and he was buried behind Mike Danna on 3rd downs and in the 4th quarter.

No way. I like that sort of player. I'd take that sort of player.

The Chiefs don't and won't, IMO.

Do you think the Dee Ford experience turned them off? Spags wasn't here, but I wonder if because it's not his type of edge, plus Andy's experience with a rush only edge is part of this disdain.

Spags is a run first set the edge guy all the way back to his Giants days. It was probably never going to happen, veach just got bricked up for a guys he graded well. They may have never really seen him as an edge. They talked about him playing line backer in practice.

No Walter Nolen is interesting

Also, Dane Brugler and Jeremiah both have Luther Burden going into the 2nd round

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Daniel Jeremiah reveals his final 2025 mock draft! <a href="https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MoveTheSticks</a> <br><br>��: <a href="https://t.co/k294gLbGpG">https://t.co/k294gLbGpG</a> <a href="https://t.co/JGfxjooJZA">pic.twitter.com/JGfxjooJZA</a></p>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1915195464397267358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A lot of places have burden in round 2. I think his stocks highest here tbh.

I'd have a really hard time passing on Nolen AND Campbell there.

I just watched a PFF mock on YouTube where we took Tyler Booker with the following still on the board:

Burden
Simmons
Hampton
Amos
Scourton
Conerly
Winston

Kill me please.

Not interested in Simmons but yeah shit lol

I don’t necessarily disagree about Pearce but bc of his frame and he’s not a spags DE. But he’s falling for character, not talent. Comparing him to uche is a joke. Pearce is two time sec first team. He’s a proven producer and has elite twitch. Part of wishes we would take if he falls bc he has the potential to an elite pass rusher with his length and burst.

Is there any chance in hell that Starks makes it to us?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/The33rdTeamFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@The33rdTeamFB</a>’s 7-Round <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chiefs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chiefs</a> Mock:<br><br>Pick 31 • Maxwell Hairston CB <br>Pick 63 • Omarr Norman-Lott DT<br>Pick 66 • Wyatt Milum OL<br>Pick 95 • Jared Ivey DE<br>Pick 133 • Damien Martinez RB<br>Pick 226 • Jacob Gardner OL<br>Pick 251 • Daniel Jackson WR<br>Pick 257 • Fentrell Cyprus CB</p>&mdash; Chiefs Blitz (@ChiefsBlitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChiefsBlitz/status/1915377191300301183?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Statement:

I will flip my shit if the Chiefs pass on Walter Nolen, period.

But I will especially flip my shit if they pass on him to take a G.

I will flip my shit if they draft Simmons.

I'll especially flip my shit right with you if they take a G

lol