Kansas City Chiefs Mock Draft 3.0: Could a K-State product be on KC’s wish list?
The NFL Draft is quickly approaching — April 25-27 in Detroit — so let’s continue our predictions in The Star’s third of four mock drafts.
In case you missed them, we released Mock Drafts 1.0 and 2.0 in previous weeks.
Under general manager Brett Veach, the Chiefs have done an excellent job of remaining flexible in the first round while not pigeonholing themselves into one specific position of need.
With the team’s uncertainty surrounding receiver Rashee Rice, will that change this year? Or will a wideout-deep draft allow KC still to take the guy it wants at No. 32 without reaching?
Here’s our latest look at how things might play out.
ROUND 1 (32nd OVERALL): Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
Worthy’s evaluation is a complicated one — and definitely in the eye of the beholder.
No one can question the Texas receiver’s speed (and 40-yard dash time). But how will that translate? And can he make up for a perceived lack of play strength to let the rest of his skills shine?
ESPN has Worthy ranked as the 34th-best prospect, while Pro Football Focus is lower on him at 68th.
The Chiefs in the past, however, have not been shy about trusting their own evaluation of a guy. Rice was an example in last year’s draft, as KC selected him ahead of where most mock drafts projected.
There’s also this: Worthy seems to fit the Chiefs’ “type” at a receiver, if that is such a thing. Veach, according to our analysis from last week, tends to favor wideouts in the draft who have quick bursts, while not valuing height as much as many other GMs.
Worthy fits that mold, as he’s built to win more on separation than contested catches — characteristics that best suit quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ style of play.
The Chiefs could have other receiver options at this point, but Worthy profiles as a player they’d like and projects to go right around the No. 32 spot, according to the latest data at Grindingthemocks.com.
We’ll lock him in here for the Chiefs as a high-upside play on the outside.
• Mock 1.0 selection: Kingsley Suamataia, T, BYU
• Mock 2.0 selection: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
ROUND 2 (64th OVERALL): Kiran Amegadjie, Yale, OT
The Chiefs’ two most significant needs are receiver and offensive tackle, and they’re a bit fortunate that this draft class has plenty of talent at both spots.
That could allow KC an ideal scenario of having Amegadjie available with this pick in the second round.
Amegadjie is a play on potential after playing at the FCS level, but the Chiefs need more options and competition at their left tackle position. Drafting Amegadjie here — PFF’s 57th-ranked player — would allow the team to breathe a bit easier in its pursuit of protecting Mahomes’ blind side.
• Mock 1.0 selection: Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina
• Mock 2.0 selection: Cooper Beebe, G, Kansas State
ROUND 3 (95th OVERALL): T’Vondre Sweat, DI, Texas
This could be a round too late to get Sweat. It could be two rounds early, too.
How will NFL teams respond to Sweat’s recent DWI arrest? That isn’t easy to say.
We know this, though: The Chiefs have historically been a team that has taken players with off-field question marks and offered them a second chance.
Looking strictly at talent, Sweat would fit KC’s roster. The Chiefs need to get younger on their D-line, and Sweat — PFF’s 74th-ranked player — is coming off a year with the Longhorns where he “was unblockable at times,” according to ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum.
• Mock 1.0 selection: Dominick Puni, G, Kansas
• Mock 2.0 selection: Elijah Jones, CB, Boston College
ROUND 4 (131st OVERALL): Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State
Sinnott’s stock appears to be rising, so perhaps getting him in the fourth round would require a trade-up. The Chiefs have met with quite a few tight-end prospects in the past few months, though, and if they dig into the numbers, they could find Sinnott would be the one to target.
NFL analyst Kevin Cole is particularly high on Sinnott. He highlights that Sinnott’s speed and elusiveness scores — the two best indicators of future tight-end success — rank favorably among the position’s recent draft success stories.
• Mock 1.0 selection: Khristian Boyd, DT, Northern Iowa
• Mock 2.0 selection: DeWayne Carter, DT, Duke
ROUND 5 (158th OVERALL): Dylan Laube, RB, New Hampshire
The Chiefs seem to have left a hole on their roster at running back for a drafted player, and Laube is the type of player they could covet to complement Isiah Pacheco.
Laube’s best skill is his pass-catching, and he’d profile as a capable third-down back while potentially providing value as a special-teams return man. Both roles appear to remain open for the Chiefs at this juncture.
• Mock 1.0 selection: Braiden McGregor, DE, Michigan
• Mock 2.0 selection: Jared Wiley, TE, TCU
ROUND 5 (173rd OVERALL): Jaylin Simpson, S, Auburn
The Chiefs value versatility in their secondary, and Simpson certainly has that. He started his career as a cornerback before switching to safety last season, meaning defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could utilize him in different roles. Getting Simpson — ESPN’s 134th-best player — in the fifth round would be good value at this point.
• Mock 1.0 selection: Lideatrick Griffin, WR, Mississippi State
• Mock 2.0 selection: Luke McCaffrey, WR, Rice
ROUND 7 (221st OVERALL) Chau Smith-Wade, CB, Washington State
A seventh-round cornerback out of Washington State might sound familiar. The Chiefs utilized that plan to take the productive Jaylen Watson two years ago, and in recent months, they met with his former teammate Smith-Wade, who had an interception in the 2024 Senior Bowl.
KC has taken a cornerback in the final round three of the last four years, so it wouldn’t be out of character to see the team continue that trend.
• Mock 1.0 selection: Rasheen Ali, HB, Marshall
• Mock 2.0 selection: Beanie Bishop, CB, West Virginia
