Veach identifies Chiefs position targets NFL Draft

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have several spots to fill on the roster ahead of the 2024 season.

On Friday, general manager Brett Veach identified these positions of need for the back-to-back Super Bowl champions:

• Depth at guard/center
• Competition at left tackle
• Wide receiver
• Cornerback
• Safety
• Linebacker

Veach also mentioned that the Chiefs begin to build depth for the team in the offensive line and defensive line.

Kansas City has covered several positions with the re-signings of defensive tackle Chris Jones, defensive end Mike Danna, and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire along with the signings of veterans like quarterback Carson Wentz, receiver Hollywood Brown and tight end Irv Smith Jr.

The team currently has 16 to 18 players they see as first round picks and Veach has around 221 players in total on his draft board. Head coach Andy Reid marveled at how Veach and the staff of scouts and talent evaluators come together to make sure their board stacks up correctly.

"I call it the lockdown," Reid said. "He locks them in there for two, two-week periods and they just beat it up in there and make sure that board is layered. It's a tribute to his dedication on that thing."

Here are the Chiefs' seven picks in this year's draft:

• Round 1, pick 32
• Round 2, pick 64
• Round 3, pick 95
• Round 4, pick 131
• Round 5, pick 159 (from Dallas Cowboys)
• Round 5, pick 173 (compensatory)
• Round 7, pick 221 (from Tennessee Titans)

Most of NFL Draft coverage surrounds the intrigue of what players will be selected in the first round. For the Chiefs, who sit as the last pick of the first round once again, it makes for a long night on Thursday and more focus on later round picks.

"It's tough to tell you what's going to take place there," Reid said. "It's a great thing on one hand to be 32nd because you've done okay on the season before, but that's a long wait. And you better really stay true to the board. What's there and take the best player you possibly can at that spot."

"There is a tremendous amount of input that goes into this first-round pick," Reid added. "However... there's like a 50% success rate over a five-year period for these first-round picks."

The Chiefs traded up for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie two years ago; it will be hard for a team working for a third straight Super Bowl to get any favors like that again.

"It's always been understood that if you're going to deal with a team in your division, there's a little bit more of a premium," Veach said.

Teams usually call around for trades during the three days leading up to Thursday while making sure their phones and all other 31 NFL teams' phones work.

"But I think just some of the AFC teams in general that are consistent playoff performers, I mean, the [Buffalo Bills] and the [Cincinati Bengals] and the [Baltimore Ravens]. I mean, it's probably little bit harder to deal with those teams and even if they do pick up the phone, I think some of their asking prices are a tick higher. So I think we get hit with a little bit more interest.

"I think that there's always a way to make a deal."

The Chiefs let left tackle Donovan Smith go into free agency after a one-year deal and second-year player Wanya Morris is set to be at left tackle as of now.

"It wasn't perfect, but it also was a solid play that I think is a good foundation to build and grow on," Veach said about Morris.

"But he has to come in here with the mindset that we're going to look to bring in competition, and he's got to come in here and win that position. I think it's his job to come in and be prepared to win that position, and I think it's our job to go out there and find competition for that left tackle spot."

Veach mentioned that positional flexibility is a key part of the evaluation process for whoever they bring in on the offensive line.

"A lot of O-Line coaches will tell you, if you can play tackle, you can potentially play any position across the board," he said.

"I think that's why tackle is so premium... Have to protect the quarterback's edge and the blind side, but also typically those tackles are athletic enough to slide inside and sometimes even play center."

Morris was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft and it sounds like the Chiefs may look to bring in another tackle in the same range.

"Hopefully the numbers work out and hopefully there's a window of opportunity for us, but I do think there's some really good players in rounds two and three," Veach said. "So just a need a little patience and a little luck, I guess."

Second-year receiver Rashee Rice is still meeting with the team as faces eight felony counts after a chain reaction Dallas crash. Veach said that Rice's legal status has had little effect on the Chiefs' draft strategy because of all of the needs they currently have.

The 2024 NFL Draft begins on Thursday at 7 p.m.