Chiefs mock draft reaction: Is a receiver over an offensive tackle the right move? (2024)

One of the most fascinating parts of the NFL Draft is that the event’s first round almost always creates a demanding question for each team. The Kansas City Chiefs are the NFL’s reigning champions, the league’s newest dynasty, the team that every other franchise is chasing. The question for the Chiefs this year in the first round is how general manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid should best improve the offense.

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Do they select a receiver to bolster the Chiefs’ passing attack or acquire a potential plug-and-play left tackle to help protect quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the 2024 season and the rest of his prime years?

Either answer could be correct.

Round 1, pick No. 32: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas

Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s draft guru, selected the first option in his seven-round mock draft. Brugler projected the Chiefs staying at No. 32 to take Mitchell. It’s a logical decision. Mitchell is fast (he ran the 40-yard dash at the combine in 4.34 seconds), tall (he’s listed at 6 feet 4) and can win jump-ball passes in one-on-one situations.

“Mitchell needs to become a more detail-focused receiver to fully unlock his talent, but he has the body length, loose athleticism and catch-point skills to be a chain-moving weapon,” Brugler wrote in “The Beast.” “He projects as a rangy, outside-the-numbers target with the lean, limber body type reminiscent of the late Chris Henry.”

🗣️ "The Murph put the biscuit in the basket" @TexasFootball strikes first after a perfect throw by Maalik Murphy 🤘🔥 pic.twitter.com/zb9eUfnk3s
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Perhaps the most surprising parts of Brugler’s mock were that the first round included just five receivers — even though most analysts agree this year’s class is particularly strong — and that the Chiefs made a single trade. Veach, who has been the Chiefs’ general manager since 2017, has made a trade during or before the draft almost every year.

“Those are two positions that we are looking at,” Reid said Monday of the possibility of adding a receiver or left tackle in the first round. “You’re sitting at pick 32, so it’s tough to tell you what’s going to take place there. It’s a great thing, on one hand, to be 32nd because (you’re the champions), 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.”

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Mitchell could be the best prospect available if the Chiefs can’t move up a few spots in the first round. But two other prospects were also available when Brugler selected Mitchell for the Chiefs: tackles Kingsley Suamataia (BYU) and Patrick Paul (Houston).

The biggest hole on the Chiefs’ roster is at left tackle, especially since they signed wide receiver Marquise Brown in free agency and kept their defensive line intact by re-signing pass rushers Chris Jones and Mike Danna.

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Of course, the Chiefs could select a receiver in the first round because Veach and Reid could re-sign veteran Donovan Smith to another one-year deal while Wanya Morris, a second-year player, continues to develop. But at some point, the Chiefs need to invest in a high-round pick at left tackle for Mahomes’ sake. If Suamataia and Paul are available with the 32nd pick next week, the Chiefs should strongly consider selecting whomever they have graded as the higher-ranked prospect.

Round 2, pick No. 64: Max Melton, CB, Rutgers

Melton would be a cheaper replacement for L’Jarius Sneed, whom the Chiefs traded to the Tennessee Titans.

Round 3, pick No. 95: Christian Mahogany, G, Boston College

Brugler made a nice move here. The Chiefs have just three guards on their roster: Joe Thuney (who is recovering from a pectoral injury), Trey Smith (who is entering the final year of his rookie contract) and Mike Caliendo (who has limited experience). The bonus is that Mahogany’s play style includes plenty of intensity and passion.

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“He plays like a bouncer outside of a club, looking to bash heads with power and forceful hands,” Brugler wrote. “He projects as a guard-versatile NFL starter, ideally suited for a downhill run team.”

The final four picks

Round 4, pick No. 131: Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon
Round 5, pick No. 159: Brennan Jackson, edge, Washington State
Round 5, pick No. 173: Jordan Jefferson, DT, LSU
Round 7, pick No. 221: Garret Greenfield, OT, South Dakota State

The final four picks are all reasonable decisions. Irving could be a nice complementary running back with strong receiving skills. Jackson and Jefferson appear to be developmental players who would have a chance to be role players by their third seasons. Greenfield has the potential to be a swing tackle.

Overall, the best scenario for the Chiefs is that Mitchell becomes a productive receiver, Melton has a successful role as a nickelback and Mahogany becomes a starter in 2025, especially if Trey Smith leaves via free agency. The best move after the draft, if it goes this way, would be for the Chiefs to re-sign Donovan Smith.