Kansas
Kansas City Chiefs Recap and UDFA Tracker
The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2024 NFL Draft with a pair of pressing needs. After addressing those spots in the first two rounds, general manager Brett Veach rounded out the roster with plenty of talent for the upcoming season.
In navigating the board on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Kansas City landed on a good handful of players for this year. As the franchise chases a championship three-peat, some of these first-year players will play critical roles down the stretch. Not everyone will factor into the club’s 2024 plans, but everyone has a chance to fit into the long-term roster math.
With the draft in the rearview mirror, Arrowhead Report on SI.com is recapping the Chiefs’ 2024 draft haul below and keeping track of the undrafted free agent market. Prospects who didn’t get picked are free to latch on with NFL clubs as early as Saturday, and UDFA news will be rolling in.
This story will be continually updated.
Kansas City Chiefs UDFA Tracker
Saturday UDFA news
Recapping the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2024 NFL Draft picks
Round 1: Xavier Worthy (WR, Texas)
By adding Worthy into the fold, Kansas City gets much faster and more explosive. The Texas product will play a role on offense and special teams as a rookie, helping give Patrick Mahomes another option and providing Dave Toub with a standout returner. The four-spot trade up the board was deemed worth it, as the pick was met with rave reviews.
Round 2: Kingsley Suamataia (OT, BYU)
This selection somehow received even more praise than the Worthy one. Suamataia was a multi-year starter at BYU and has experience on both sides of the offensive line. His blend of youth, athleticism and upside makes him a possible long-term solution at left tackle. At the very least, this is a player who should push Wanya Morris in the spring and summer. Many would’ve been happy with Suamataia at the end of round one.
Round 4: Jared Wiley (TE, TCU)
With Travis Kelce aging and there not being a can’t-miss piece behind him, adding a high-level athlete on Day 3 made great sense. Wiley is a smooth mover at the tight end position and has considerable upside despite being on the older side. He could very well make the roster and get on the field as a rookie, even while having three players ahead of him on the depth chart.
Round 4: Jaden Hicks (S, Washington State)
Let’s get this out of the way: Kansas City didn’t have a pressing need at the safety position. With that said, Hicks very well may have been the best player left on the board when he was picked. That, combined with his chess-piece style and high IQ, makes it a perfectly fine pick. The Washington State product will factor into the secondary rotation as a rookie if all pans out well.
Round 5: Hunter Nourzad (iOL, Penn State)
The Chiefs were expected to entertain adding an interior offensive lineman this year, which is exactly what they did on Day 3. Nourzad is a well-versed lineman with experience at just about every position. That’ll come in handy during his professional tenure as he looks to latch on with the champs. Nourzad is just as much of a guard as he is a center prospect.
Round 6: Kamal Hadden (CB, Tennessee)
The second of Kansas City’s secondary picks on Saturday, Hadden has the requisite linear athleticism, size and pedigree to be a Veach special. The former Tennessee cornerback has been held back by injuries recently but said on Saturday afternoon that his shoulder has progressed well. If he can participate in OTAs and training camp, don’t be surprised to hear the competitive corner’s name in the mix later on.
Round 7: C.J. Hanson (OG, Holy Cross)
Veach and Co. capped off their 2024 haul by bringing in an older, experienced interior offensive line prospect. Hanson is a very nice athlete with good open-field movement skills and fluidity. With Trey Smith’s soon due for a contract extension, this could be a forward-thinking move taking place on Day 3 of the draft.