2025 Prospects I Like

[kccrow]

A bit of a play on what Direkshun put together the past couple of seasons. I'll reserve the round grading, especially as of now. I'll keep adding to this as I progress through.


QB Kurtis Rourke, Indiana - Prototypical size with a plus arm and great accuracy to the short and intermediate areas. Good pocket awareness and feet. Smooth mechanics. Can get caught watching the pressure at times and can be late with throws. Looks like a great backup with the chance to develop into more. Major negative is he'll be a 24-year-old rookie.

RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina - Extremely complete RB with great NFL size and enough speed to make teams pay. Great burst. Good contact balance, good vision. Can catch the football but not dynamic. Good blocker.

RB Devin Neal, Kansas - Patient yet decisive runner. Explosive off initial cut. Great burst and speed over initial 15-20 yards. Loses steam on long runs so might not be a game-breaker in the pros.

RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa - Zone runner that finds the lanes (though pretty big at times at Iowa). Hits the hole with conviction. Has homerun speed at plus size. Solid contact balance. Good receiver when called upon.

RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State - Patient runner with excellent vision to find cutbacks. Decent wiggle in the open field to create misses. Burst and speed are good and can hit the corner on the outside zone. Excellent receiving back.

RB Jo'Quavious Marks, USC - A Bucky Irving-style of runner with great ability to work the perimeter and be a threat in the passing game. A bit on the small side with no defining characteristic and a lack of true homerun speed but effective at creating 10-20 yard chunks in both facets. He might find his calling as a 3rd down back but he could be more.

RB RJ Harvey, UCF - Outstanding speed and outstanding lateral agility to go with excellent vision make for a dangerous combination at all levels. Very good receiving back as well. A little on the small side and likes to bounce it outside a bit much for the NFL. Needs to learn to get going North in with more urgency. Get him in space, and he'll break off big ones for you.

WR Kyren Lacy, LSU - I love LSU WRs because they get taught the right way and Lacy is no exception. He beats man with a good release and quickness in/out of breaks. Attacks the defender. Good awareness and ball skills.

WR Tai Felton, Maryland - Outstanding route runner, excellent release. Sideline awareness. Can create after the catch. Lacks elite speed and has a smaller frame.

WR Elic Ayomanor, Stanford - Shows all of the tools with great hands and good route running. Worried slightly about his ability to consistently separate, especially when he makes the jump to the pros.

WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State - Extremely fluid with outstanding quickness and good, maybe great, speed. Excellent route runner, finds space in zone, and has shown he can win against press. Tracks the ball well and has great hands. Heavy usage from the slot is a concern but has outside wins.

WR Jack Bech, TCU - Great size has enough juice to create YAC. Great hands. Good route runner with excellent awareness to open up against zone coverage. Good body control. Not an elite athlete but solid speed and quickness will let him win in the pros and continue to be a possession type. Reportedly high-character.

WR Jaylin Noel, Iowa State - Outstanding quickness and lateral agility to make ankle-breaking cuts and instant separation. Good-to-great route runner. Plus hands and the attitude to get the ball in traffic. YAC monster. Versatile inside-outside ability. Lacks truly elite speed but it's good enough to get over the top of many corners. Will find immediate work as a slot, gadget player, and special teams return man.

WR Jalen Royals, Utah State - Speedster with a quick accelerator. Good hands and can make plays in traffic. Good at finding holes in zone. Runs a limited route tree but effective on slants and posts.

TE Mason Taylor, LSU - Move/Receiving TE that works the middle of the field and has good boundary awareness. Good ability to find holes in zones. Enough speed to threaten the seam and great size.

LT Josh Conerly, Jr., Oregon - Very athletic tackle with excellent lateral movement skills. Elite pass blocker. Good hands, a solid punch. Picks up the inside counter. Recognizes and picks up stunts. Reminds me a bit of Jason Peters. Might be the best pure pass-blocking LT in the draft.

LT Wyatt Millum, West Virginia - Athletic left tackle. Elite pass blocker. Smart and durable, multiple academic All-Conference honors. A prototype for a passing offense like KCs IMO. Reminds me of Eric Fisher.

LT Josh Simmons, Ohio State - Prototypical size and length with outstanding power and athleticism. Explosive and physical blocker. Versatility at both tackle spots. Can overwhelm second-level targets in the run game. Poor hand placement and developing footwork lead to misses. Has a history of taking too many penalties.

OT Anthony Belton, NC State - Pretty solid at everything and has a thick frame. Shows displacing power. Aggressive. Lacks the agility and footwork to remain out a LT in my opinion, but would make an exceptional conversion project to LG.

LT Charles Grant, William & Mary - Outstanding athleticism and movement skills that will translate to the next level. Great arm length. Shows good depth on kick slide and great lateral agility. Consistently squares to his target. Gets to the second level and engulfs defenders. Outstanding zone blocker. Recognizes and communicates stunts and blitzes. All-State wrestler in HS. Concerns about weight, looks under 300 pounds, which could point to a move to Center. Senior Bowl invite could answer questions.

RG Connor Colby, Iowa - Solid all-around OG but is not an OT (spent some atrocious time at RT). Good pass sets with good hand placement. Adapts well to twists and stunts. Great on double-teams. Smart, Academic All-Big 10. Has some anchor. Needs to reduce waist-bending tendencies. Not a power blocker, won't generate great push upfield. A movement, zone run blocker.

RG Marcus Mbow, Purdue - Great size and versatility to play both OT and OG. Smooth mover with good slide and hand usage to keep the QB clean. Great snatch and trap technique. Plus anchor against power. Ability to reach the second level as a run blocker. Likely lacks the arm length, weight, and overall footwork to remain outside at OT in the NFL on the regular.

OG Jordan Williams, Georgia Tech - Fairly athletic RT but short arms and lack of kick slide depth will push him inside to OG in the NFL. Has good size. Shows movement ability and arm extension in pass pro to keep rushers at bay. Has mobility to get to the second level or pull out in space in the run game. Lacks block sustain and doesn't reset the LOS, more of a seal-off run blocker. Looks for additional work off double-teams. Tardy at times picking up delayed blitz.

DE J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State - Very complete, NFL-sized DE. You'll be able to trust this kid to lock down his lanes and shut down the run. He needs to improve his hand usage and pass-rush plan but he shows flashes of dominant ability.

DE Jack Sawyer, Ohio State - Much like his teammate, Tuimoloa, is very solid in all facets and sports an NFL-ready frame. Has a very solid first step off the line. Shows good power. Needs to develop more as a pass rusher but was much better this season. Similar to George Karlaftis.

DE Ashton Gillotte, Louisville - Explosive player with great burst off the snap. Strong and can hold the point against the run. Good quickness to close as a pass rusher. Versatility and size to line up inside and outside. Very high motor player. Lacks elite length and bend but can be a strong part of a pass rush arsenal in a Charles Omenihu type of role.

ER Mike Green, Marshall - Good get-off, good bend. Shows the ability to put the heat on the QB with regularity. A bit on the small side and an ankle-biter. Needs to bulk up but should end up a quality 3-4 OLB sooner than later. Reminds me a bit of Nik Bonitto.

DE Kyle Kennard, South Carolina - Good length. Good speed-to-power. Solid bend. Needs more strength and more consistency. Concerning lack of tackles compared to his last season at Georgia Tech. Going to be a 23-year-old rookie.

DE Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss - The Florida transfer shows good explosion and excellent bend, making it difficult on opposing tackles in pass protection. He has good, active hands and an outstanding spin move to win multiple ways. He lacks a great speed-to-power or power rush, which may end up being a function of time and development in the pros. He plays with high IQ and a strong motor. Lacks the sand in his pants to set a true anchor against the run but shows good effort and arm extension to try to keep offensive lineman off of him to make plays in that regard.

DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon - A bit tardy off the snap but once he gets moving he's an absolute freight train to slow down. Very solid in all facets. Looks like he can make a living in the backfield as a passing down disruptor. Thicker and shorter than former Ducks DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead but has a similar play style.

DT Walter Nolan, Ole Miss - Explosive off the snap with violent power into blockers. Extremely disruptive. Lacks a controlled rush at this point and will vacate gap responsibilities in pursuit. Disruption hasn't led to high sack numbers but has potential.

DT Deone Walker, Kentucky - Massive man with exceptional power and quickness to cause havoc at the point of attack. Strong tackler and elite run-stopping ability. High motor with good stamina, which is rare for a man of his stature. Brings memories of Dontari Poe.

DT Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee - Outstanding burst off the LOS. Shows the ability to be a one-man wrecking crew. Needs to learn to play under control and stay off the ground.

DT Yahya Black, Iowa - Space-eating NT. Good strength and impressive mass to lock down the interior against the run. Not much of a pass rusher. Might be a two-down player.

CB Denzel Burke, Ohio State - Good length and solid hips and transitional footwork. Great man/press skillset. Lacks elite speed. Not as physical as you want at times.

CB Jason Marshall Jr., Florida - See Burke above.

CB Jahdae Barron, Texas - An extremely versatile corner who can play press, off-man, and zone but is best at press or zone. Has great ball skills. An elite tackler who will come downhill with a safety mentality. Processes quickly and stays on top of all routes. Can lose to elite speed or quickness. Reminds a lot of L'Jarius Sneed.

LB Jalon Walker, Georgia - Might be a 1st round LB. Exceptional athlete with solid skills at almost everything and has the speed to play sideline-to-sideline. Needs more experience but he's just tipping the iceberg.

LB Jay Higgins, Iowa - Physical, downhill thumper with excellent instincts. Smart and the QB of the Iowa defense. Great tackler. Lacks high-end athleticism and true sideline-to-sideline speed. Adept at zone coverage but struggles in man-to-man. Very much in the mold of Nick Bolton.

LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma - Excellent size and athleticism for an NFL LB with the ability to close. Great production, good tackler, and good blitzer. Can play all three positions. Struggles at times with misdirection and play action. Needs to get stronger at the point of attack. Reminds me a bit of Germaine Pratt.

LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Kentucky - A downhill banger with enough speed and agility to play 3 downs. Playcaller, leader. Won't ever be great in coverage. Has some bouts with missed tackles. Similar to Nick Bolton but a little bigger.

LB Lander Barton, Utah - Rangy, sideline-to-sideline, coverage LB. Looks the part of a prototypical weakside LB. Playmaker. NFL bloodline. Needs to strengthen his ability against the run and put on some pounds.

FS Andrew Makuba, Texas - Clemson transfer with high-end athleticism and functioned as a Swiss Army knife at both stops. Can play nickel, high, box, and everywhere in between. Needs work on man coverage.

SS Jonas Sanker, Virginia - Versatile safety but at his best in the box in a Justin Reid role. Very good and aggressive tackler. Makes plays in the backfield. Disrupts the intermediate throwing lanes over the middle of the field. Not as good of a player the further off the line he gets. Loses the battle to shiftier WRs.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I honestly don't care much at all about 'pairing' Pacheco with anyone at this point.

I want a new, better RB1.

If Pacheco can forge a role as an RB2 in short-yardage situations, neat - so much the better. But he's not been any better than Hunt this season and in a lot of ways worse.

I'm not looking to supplement the RB room - I'm looking to upgrade on it.

The way that guy runs he won't last long in the league and I think we're already seeing signs of the wear and tear.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Titty Meat

The way that guy runs he won't last long in the league and I think we're already seeing signs of the wear and tear.

Pacheco?

Yeah - again, I'm not at all worried about longevity with Pop.

I'm worried about ability. He just doesn't have enough of it. He's a guy who's going to get what's blocked...maybe.

I want someone that can get that and then make a guy miss to start racking up those Yards over Expected.

Pacheco doesn't do that. On a good run, he hits the seam, explodes through it and then smashes into the first guy that gets in front of him. It takes too much going right for him to even get a 20 yarder. But when you watch someone like Gibbs, if he gets through the first level, all hell can break loose.

I'd be fine moving Pacheco to a straight up backup role next season. I wouldn't even be super eager to have him as a short yardage back because he's not particularly good at that.

We're carrying 4 backs right now, right? I'd be fine doing that again next year with Henderson, Pacheco, Hunt and a 3rd down back. I don't need a FB and to whatever extent one might be necessary, just use Hunt as an up back. He's a willing and capable blocker.

I'm just running out of use for Pacheco at this point. He's...fine. That's it. I'm not sure I even prefer him to what Damien Williams brought to the table in 2019.

[O.city]

I don't think he's fine. I'd be looking to upgrade.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

I don't think he's fine. I'd be looking to upgrade.

Well we won 2 Super Bowls with him so I think he's pretty much exactly 'fine'.

But yes, we should be looking to upgrade.

Singleton going back to Penn State is a kick in the dick, though. He wasn't the guy I preferred, but he was the guy that could end up pushing Henderson into our range in the 2nd.

I think that's a bit of a pipe dream at this point. You have Jeanty and Hampton that probably go before Henderson but I don't see Henderson going after Johnson or James. And I don't see the 3rd RB off the board lasting to 64.

That said, if we really don't want to take Henderson in the 1st, I'd be looking at Dylan Sampson in the 2nd. He's more of a Gibbs type in that he's a little slight but on the plus side, lik Gibbs, he can be a real pain in the ass as a pass catcher.

If you aren't going to just bury Pacheco, Pacheco/Sampson as a Thunder/Lighting duo could really work out nicely.

It's a fine alternative. And I do expect Sampson will be available at the back of the 2nd.

[RunKC]

RJ Harvey looks like what we were wanting to get from Clyde. 5’9 208 lbs. way better vision than Clyde as well as speed/agility. Might be worth a look in the 3rd rd

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by RunKC

RJ Harvey looks like what we were wanting to get from Clyde. 5’9 208 lbs. way better vision than Clyde as well as speed/agility. Might be worth a look in the 3rd rd

I think guys like Harvey are why I find myself inching towards RB in the 1st or 2nd this year.

The rest just feel like more of the same to me.

There's a TON of depth at RB in this draft, but it feels like it's more that there's a lot of fungible talent rather than premier players.

I mean there are probably a dozen guys like Devin Neal in this draft.

And at that point I just kinda throw my hands up and say "ah **** it - just take someone in the 7th again I guess..."

It feels like a good time to be aggressive at the position and there might just be the right piece there for us. But when you're looking at Neals and Harveys and Etiennes and (yuck) trying to talk yourself into Skattebo -- eh, that's no fun. I'm just not feelin' it.

If we don't want to try to snag a great back, I guess we can just keep cycling through mediocre ones.

[RunKC]

Yeah I’m with ya DJ. This is not a good year to need a WR. Thankfully we have addressed that the last 2 years. FA market is terrible and so is the draft if you don’t pick high enough to get McMillan, Burder or Egbuka.

Fully on the RB train. It will drastically help us for the Kelce transition as well

[staylor26]

I REALLY like the idea of Judkins in our offense.

[Couch-Potato]

Just started looking into DL Derrick Harmon after watching a mock on youtube.

6-5, 310 lbs, run defender that busted out as an interior pass rush guy this season: 5 sacks, 43 pressures, 17.6% pass rush win rate from the interior!!!

2nd best pass rush rating for a IDL in this draft after another guy that only played passing downs, could be available in the 2nd.

Wharton replacement!?

[Couch-Potato]

Originally Posted by RunKC

RJ Harvey looks like what we were wanting to get from Clyde. 5’9 208 lbs. way better vision than Clyde as well as speed/agility. Might be worth a look in the 3rd rd

Agree that he fits what I believe the Chiefs look for in a RB!

[Tribal Warfare]

Originally Posted by Couch-Potato

Agree that he fits what I believe the Chiefs look for in a RB!

IMO, It's more like Kareem considering that he take punishment with extraordinary contact balance and still be elite like the 2017 -2018 seasons

[Titty Meat]

I think Edwards or Neal would be alot of fun in this offense. Those aren't #1 backs but as Andy has proven you don't necessarily need that

[ntexascardfan]

Matthew Golden if we are looking for another mid round wide receiver.

Fly paper hands and a knack for getting open.

[kccrow]

Added
OL Jordan Williams, Georgia Tech
DE Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss
LT Charles Grant, William & Mary

[Titty Meat]

Yeah Princely would be awesome