The Kansas City Chiefs’ current dynasty is sustained largely due to star players, coaches and front office members. With that said, some smart drafting on a yearly basis keeps the back-to-back champs in good shape. Finding good talent and cost-controlled players is paramount, which is exactly what general manager Brett Veach has done in recent cycles.

Kansas City’s 2021 draft class is a perfect example of that, but many players are now due for extensions. One, center Creed Humphrey, has already received his. Linebacker Nick Bolton is up for a new contract, but the former Missouri standout doesn’t want to worry about it before or during the 2024-25 season.

If Bolton wants to bet on himself, it could see him land in the upper echelon of linebacker deals in free agency. Is that a price tag the Chiefs should or will feel comfortable meeting? That remains to be seen. There’s a world where Kansas City needs to add a new linebacker into the fold in the spring, and a recent 2025 NFL Draft mock simulation does just that.

In his mock for CBS Sports, Ryan Wilson sends Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman to Kansas City.

“Stutsman is a really good athlete who plays with little wasted movement,” Wilson wrote. “He flashes a downhill burst, and is a wrap-up tackler. He’s also comfortable in space and can be disruptive in coverage. The Chiefs don’t have a ton of needs but Nick Bolton is in the final year of his contract.”

Stutsman, a senior out of Florida, was tracking to enter the 2024 NFL Draft but ended up returning to school for one last ride with the Sooners. He’s coming off a year that saw him earn All-Big 12 First Team honors, as well as third-team AP All-American marks and a semifinalist placement for the Lombardi Award. Stutsman is the heart and soul of the Oklahoma defense, and his leadership shows off the field too.

In his last two seasons, Stutsman has combined to make 25 starts and log well over 200 tackles (26.5 for loss) with six sacks and three interceptions. Similar to Bolton, he’s a stat-sheet stuffer whose impact looks impressive on the box score. Advanced stats also like his profile, as Stutsman posted Pro Football Focus grades of 70 or higher for run defense, tackling, pass rush and overall defense this past season.

Stutsman differs from Bolton in some ways, though. While he’s a willing tackler, he is inconsistent in run defense and is indecisive at times on the field. On the other hand, he’s a more fluid athlete on tape and seems to thrive when diagnosing things in coverage or using his range to make plays. A 2025 linebacker trio of Stutsman, Drue Tranquill and Leo Chenal would lose some of the tone-setting that Bolton is known for, although it’d gain the upside of being more interchangeable and also empowering the more well-rounded Tranquill to be the group’s leader.

In next year’s class, Stutsman joins players like LSU’s Harold Perkins, Clemson’s Barrett Carter and Utah’s Lander Barton as some premier linebacker talents. Is he worthy of a first-round pick? Not in this writer’s opinion, although pre-draft athletic testing could sway his stock either way. Counting on him to be a direct Bolton replacement could bring about some question marks, but Stutsman’s projected floor and ceiling at the next level are both intriguing.

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