Arrowhead Pride
A year since they joined the team, let’s see how the Chiefs 2024 draft picks have panned out thus far.
Part of the reason the Kansas City Chiefs have been so successful in recent years is their ability to hit on a solid number of draft picks, relying on free agency only to selectively supplement a roster built mainly through the draft.
But even a team like the Chiefs has its misses from time to time. So, we could take a moment to look back at last season’s draft class and see how these players are faring one year into their careers.
For this post, we’ll focus on the Chiefs’ top four selections from the 2024 draft: wide receiver Xavier Worthy, offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia, tight end Jared Wiley and safety Jaden Hicks.
Let’s dive in.
I know it’s odd to say that a first-round draft pick exceeded expectations. But after taking the requisite chunk of time that all rookie receivers need to learn head coach Andy Reid’s offense, Worthy emerged late in the season as more than just a deep threat with straight-line speed.
He showed a legitimate ability to run a complete route tree and create separation at all levels of the field. Looking ahead to Year 2, it’s easy to imagine a scenario where he earns a larger target share than a veteran like Hollywood Brown and develops into a true difference-maker on the offensive side of the ball.
Updated draft grade: A
Taken at the end of the second round, we instantly hailed this pick as a steal. We identified Suamataia as a player with enough upside to potentially become one of the best value picks in the draft.
However, the caveat with Suamataia was always that he’d need time before he was ready to play in the NFL, to the extent that I advocated for him to take a full redshirt season to develop and acclimate.
The Chiefs’ personnel disagreed, rushing Suamataia into the starting lineup well before he was ready. The results were catastrophic. In Week 3, Suamataia was repeatedly beaten by Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to the point that he was pulled from the game.
He didn’t look much better the rest of the year. Things could change, but right now, this looks like one of general manager Brett Veach’s worst draft picks.
Even if Suamataia eventually becomes a serviceable left guard, that’s not why you draft a guy like him. You drafted him to be a tackle, and he hasn’t come close to delivering on that potential.
Updated draft grade: F
This one is tough. Wiley was third on the tight end depth chart behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray — and then he suffered a torn ACL in November. It’s hard to project...
