Who will Kansas City Chiefs pick in 2024 NFL Draft? KC Star’s mock draft 1.0

The pressure is on.

In last year’s Kansas City Star Chiefs Mock Draft 1.0, my (now retired) former colleague Herbie Teope was prescient, nailing the Chiefs’ first-round selection of Kansas State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah before it happened.

It’s not the first time the Star’s crystal ball has been accurate. We previously projected the selections of running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (2020) and linebacker Nick Bolton (2021). Then, in 2022, The Star’s first mock draft had defensive end George Karlaftis, wide receiver Skyy Moore and offensive lineman Darian Kinnard.

Today, we present the first of four mock drafts for the Chiefs’ current lineup of selections.

And while it’s impossible to predict the future or know precisely how Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and his staff evaluate players, it’s time to put it on the record how we think the upcoming April 25-27 NFL Draft in Detroit might turn out.

Round 1 (32nd overall): OT Kingsley Suamataia, BYU

I asked Veach at the NFL Combine about his left-tackle spot, and he admitted then that while the team likes second-year player Wanya Morris’ development, “It’ll be certainly at the point here where we have to bring in some depth and some competition.”

BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia makes a lot of sense — and not just because he’s from Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s alma mater.

Suamataia’s stock — while higher a few weeks ago — is trending right toward the sweet spot where he’d be available to the Chiefs at the end of Round 1, according to data at GrindingtheMocks.com.

Pro Football Focus also had Suamataia rated as a better pass blocker than run blocker, which tends to be the Chiefs’ preference at tackle given their pass-happy ways.

This is a deep draft for offensive tackles, which means KC can get someone at the end of Round 1 that might not be there in other years. Suamataia was scheduled to meet with KC on a top-30 visit, and it’s not a stretch to think the Chiefs will like him enough to make him their left tackle of the future.

Round 2 (64th overall): WR Devontez Walker, North Carolina

KC needs to address receiver with its first two picks, but great depth at the position means there should be plenty of talent still available in Round 2.

The Chiefs are a team that trusts their scouts and evaluation, so taking North Carolina’s Devontez Walker here — like Rashee Rice last season — would be a bet that they can steal a talented player who might be a reach at this spot on some mock draft boards.

Walker, at 6 1 1/2 and 193 pounds, had an excellent 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine and seems like he could be a long-term, down-the-field answer once Hollywood Brown’s one-year deal expires.

One other thing: Walker was described by NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein as a “Day 2 field-stretcher for West Coast offenses looking to create explosive opportunities in the passing game.”

Seems like a fit to me.

Round 3 (95th overall): G Dominick Puni, Kansas

The Chiefs will eventually need to draft a defensive tackle, but they aren’t in a desperate spot, meaning they can let value fall to them.

Puni — a St. Charles, Missouri native and two-year starter at Kansas — would be intriguing. He profiles long-term as a guard and was a late riser after starting his career at Central Missouri.

After signing Chris Jones to a lucrative long-term deal, the Chiefs will soon face difficult financial decisions. They probably won’t be able to extend center Creed Humphrey and guard Trey Smith, while Joe Thuney’s spot will also become open in the next year or two.

The Chiefs love to address potential roster holes a year ahead, and getting Puni to offensive line coach Andy Heck in this draft would give the Chiefs the upside of a possible starter at guard — one year before they need him.

Round 4 (131st overall): DT Khristian Boyd, Northern Iowa

The Chiefs reportedly had a top-30 visit scheduled with Northern Iowa’s Khristian Boyd, and this would be around the range where they’d need to secure him.

Boyd, ranked the 140th prospect by Pro Football Focus, is 6-2 and 320 pounds and could be a fit for the Chiefs as they look to secure their defensive interior. He’s also a local kid, excelling at Blue Springs High while previously ending up on the same local all-conference lists as Anudike-Uzomah.

He also seems to have grown up a Chiefs fan.

Round 5 (158th overall): EDGE Braiden McGregor, Michigan

If there’s one thing we know about Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, it’s that he loves tall guys on his defensive line.

McGregor fits the mold at 6-5 and 257 pounds. He could serve as some potential long-term depth with Charles Omenihu only under contract for one more season.

Round 5 (173rd overall): WR Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State

The new NFL kickoff rules should push return specialists up the draft boards, and it’d be surprising if associate head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub doesn’t speak up to Reid and Veach in the draft while trying to secure a playmaker at that spot (besides former rugby player Louis Rees-Zammit, who should be considered a project).

Griffin, at 5-10 and 180 pounds, wasn’t the most consistent receiver in college, but his athleticism should play up in the return game, where KC could use a starter.

Round 7 (221st overall): HB Rasheen Ali, Marshall

The Chiefs scheduled a top-30 visit with Marshall’s Rasheen Ali, who could share some similarities to Isiah Pacheco if he’s taken in the seventh round. Most notably, could the Chiefs find more in a college running back who didn’t always have the most consistent blocking in front of him?

KC could definitely take a late dart-throw on a tailback, given it has few roster spots secured behind Pacheco at this point in the offseason.