The Kansas City Chiefs desperately needed to add weapons around Patrick Mahomes. In the 2024 NFL draft, the Chiefs did just that and their grades reflect. How well did the draft set them up for the future? Let’s jump into grades pick by pick.
Kansas City Chiefs 2024 Draft Grades
First Round (Pick 28) Xavier Worthy, WR, A-
It’s one thing to add a wide receiver. It’s another to take him from a conference rival for a relatively low haul. Worthy has all the speed to take the top off a defense, but is way more than a deep threat. His route running is underrated and could be the number one target if and when Kelce retires. Any Chiefs 2024 draft grades have to start with a great pick in the first round.
Second Round (Pick 63) Kingsley Suamataia, OT, A
Suamataia had back end of first round buzz, and instead fell to Kansas City in the second. Suamataia has prototypical size for a right tackle, above average athleticism and had some really fun tape. It’s all about whether or not he can put it all together to become as dominant against a higher level of competition as he was against BYU’s opponents. He’s still a work in progress, but any pick that protects the offense is a good pick.
Fourth Round (Pick 131) Jared Wiley, TE, B+
Wiley’s athleticism is absurd, and now he gets a year or two to learn under Kelce. Noah Gray is a fine understudy, but grabbing an athlete like Wiley where they did was a great pick for the range.
Jared Wiley is a TE prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.52 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 55 out of 1116 TE from 1987 to 2024.
Splits projectedhttps://t.co/AUYy1C4co1 pic.twitter.com/GYtwZ0nzRn
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 2, 2024
Round Four (Pick 133) Jaden Hicks, DB, B-
It’s unfortunate the Chiefs found themselves at the end of a run on defense. T.J. Tampa or Sione Vaki would have been a homerun, but they still added depth a position of need. It’s unlikely Hicks turns into the stud that Snead was, but he can still play snaps and make an impact on special teams.
Round Five (Pick 159) Hunter Nourzad, OL, A
Nourzad has experience at all five positions on the offensive line. PFF has him primarily as a center, but he played tackle as a true freshman (on both sides) and played guard as a sophomore. If he had gone back to school he would have been a way higher pick in 2025, so getting him the building and getting experience early is a great pick for the Chiefs. He likely won’t see the field much in 2024 outside of injuries to the mainstay offensive linemen.
Round Six (Pick 211) Kamal Hadden, DB, A
What was Hadden doing still on the board here? He had a great coverage grade in 2023, is an early breakout, and is set to be a solid backup corner at the next level. He lacks the athleticism to truly lock down receivers at the next level, but maybe a move to safety would alleviate some of the problems.
Round Seven (Pick 248) C.J. Hanson, OL, C
Maybe Hanson makes the roster as the eighth lineman. If he does, that’s a great pick. If he doesn’t and just floats on the practice squad, he’s shown flashes of pass blocking chops that maybe he can grow into his paws at the next level.
Main Photo Credit: Syndication: Austin American-Statesman
