Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
It's no secret that Conerly is my most coveted prospect, Conerly has adequate size for the position and exceptional footwork. He can get stronger, and he can get better with hand placement, but you can't teach his movement. He's the type of guy who can reach those deep sets Pat loves to put his OTs up against and he can reach and counter speed.
J.T. Tuimoloau, DE, Ohio State
If we don't go OT in round 1, count this as my most wanted player. He's a former 5-star recruit with the size, athleticism, and power you want from a 4-3 DE. He's just starting to scratch the surface of what he can become as evidenced by his monster college football playoff performance. Tuimoloa is a lock in run defense, rarely conceding his edge. He has enough speed and enough bend to go with his power to make life hard on tackles from either side of the line. Tuimoloau is going to be special.
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
I don't think Henderson will make it to KC but if he does and the options above aren't there, then I think you have to look at this very seriously. Henderson is as explosive of a RB in every phase that you can expect and he's exceptional with pass blocking to boot. He's a do-everything RB with the only concern being you might have to moderate his snaps.
Day 2
Alfred Collins, DT, Texas
Collins is a large human who tosses around other large humans like they are nothing but dirty laundry. He moves extremely well for his size and his long arms help him make tackles outside his frame. He needs to get better with pad level and getting off the snap consistently but this kid could be really good in a year or two.
Elijah Roberts, DE, SMU
Roberts has size, explosion, strength, and exceptional short-area quickness. He's just a menace to deal with on a snap-to-snap basis. His size might hinder his bend but it also allows him to collapse down to DT situationally and wreak havoc on offensive guards that simply cannot handle his speed and power together.
Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
You might have expected Tuten here but that's not the direction I'm going. Skattebo has a great first and second step which allows him to hit creases with authority. He's powerful as hell and has elite contact balance which means you aren't going to arm tackle him. Just gang-tackling him is hard enough. He has exceptional vision to find lanes and cutbacks and the quicks to make chunk plays. Not only that, he's a great receiving back and he has the attitude of a champion. This kid wills his way to extra yards every single down.
Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma
Stutsman has the size, instincts, and attitude you want in an NFL LB. He's a student of the game, always looking prepared on the field reading what's in front of him, and adjusting himself to be in a position to make plays. He's good at getting around and through blockers even if he might need to develop more in head-to-head take-on strength. He needs work in coverage but he has the skill set to make it possible.
Tai Felton, WR, Maryland
Felton has excellent short-area quickness, good footwork and routes, and great long speed (evidenced by his 4.37 40 at the combine). He's built a little slender which creates some difficulties against physical corners. He wins at all levels of the field though and creates a lot of separation. He has really good hands, including exceptional deep tracking and over-the-shoulder catch ability. He gets knocked too hard for his limitations and not enough credit for being exceptional in all other areas. He's a prototypical Z/Slot in a WCO.
Wyatt Milum, OG, West Virginia
Early on, I was hopeful that Milum would have longer arms and grade out as a tackle but that simply isn't the case. That said, he comes with the mentality, experience, and technical refinement you want to see if you're looking for an instant starter on your offensive line. Milum hits his target with a violent punch and has the athleticism to stick with them afterward. He shows good zone-blocking skills in the run game as well. Milum can reach second-level targets on the move to seal off run lanes. He also has the instincts and awareness to look for stunts and twists and shut them down.
Day 3
Vernon Broughton, DT, Texas
Broughton has a great first step off the line, something that instantly gains my attention with DL prospects. He also has great size and outstanding length which will make guards' lives miserable. Broughton is just starting to put things together and that bodes well for his pro prospects. He needs to gain lower body mass and strength and learn to use his hands to get off blocks more quickly. I think Broughton is an awesome sleeper candidate as a 4-3 3-technique.
Jonas Sanker, S, Virginia
Sanker has an outstanding size/speed profile for the NFL. Not only that, but he has an excellent trigger downhill in the run game and hits you when he gets there. I like his ability in coverage both in man and in zone as he seems to stick with good route recognition, patience, and timing. His fundamental flaw is his susceptibility to play action and RPO reads which can leave him in a vulnerable spot in coverage. Clean up his game and he could be really good.
Elijhah Badger, WR, Florida
Badger comes with a good size, length, and speed profile but needs medical vetting after a back injury in 2023. He returned in 2024 and was, once again, outstanding. He uses outstanding route pacing to win routes and has really good hands. He knows how to use his body to shield defenders in contested situations. He has good YAC production and is a solid returner on special teams due to solid agility. Badger is my sleeper in this draft at WR.
Woody Marks, RB, USC
Marks isn't the biggest or the fastest RB but he's extremely productive as both a runner and as a pass receiver out of the backfield. Marks shows excellent patience and vision to find creases and cutback lanes and then uses his elite short-area burst to get North in a hurry and pick up chunks of yards. He has enough agility to make a defender miss and enough power to get tough yards despite his size. Marks won't be an electric back that can take it to the house on any play but he's going to be as reliable as they get.
Shaun Dolac, LB, Buffalo
Make no mistake about it, this is one of my favorite players in this entire draft. Dolac was insanely productive at Buffalo and is a self-made Consensus All-American. His Pro Day proved what you see on the field as the 6'0" 221-pound LB went off with a 4.55 40, 6.94 3-cone, 4.21 shuttle, 35.5 inch vertical, and 25 reps on the bench. That's top-notch. Dolac is an absolute tackling machine (168 this year) and is really solid in coverage. His trigger when he sees the play unfold is elite.
C.J. Dippre, TE, Alabama
This one probably seems out in left field to many but I like Dippre's game and his athletic profile is prototypical. I feel like Dippre is going to go late and yet outplay his draft position and be far more productive in the pros than in college. He's a really solid run and pass blocker with good fundamentals and good strength, which will instantly make him TE3 on just about any depth chart. His ability to find spots in the zone and make life easy on his QB will be insanely appealing. He has the athleticism to run the seam and any route on the field but he needs work learning and refining route running. If he goes to the right situation where he can be on the roster and develop for a year or two, there's no reason to think he can't at least be a highly functional #2 and possibly a lot more.
There's something about Hampton I don't like and I can't quite put a finger on it.
I think it's the lack of wiggle, that explosive stop/start, lateral quickness. I like the power...like the speed and size. He'll probably have a very productive NFL career. But for whatever reason, his film just doesn't pop to me.