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When their first pick came in the draft, the Kansas City Chiefs hit a home run. That set the stage for a few good grades. But here are the Chiefs’ three biggest mistakes in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Nobody should say anything but positive things about the Chiefs’ first-round pick. They nailed it with Josh Simmons, who could be the best offensive tackle who was available in this draft.
But the first miscue came with their second pick. The Chiefs looked at the defensive tackle position and selected Omarr Norman-Lott.
First, let’s understand that Norman-Lott could be a solid player. He’s projected as a potential starter down the road by nfl.com. But some NFL observers don’t think Chiefs’ general manager Brett Veach got value with this pick at No. 63, according to espn.com.
“I was the lowest on Norman-Lott of our group of analysts,” Matt Miller wrote. “But the defensive tackle board has really been wiped out throughout the opening two rounds. Kansas City needed to identify a tackle who can play next to Chris Jones. And maybe even serve as his eventual replacement. Norman-Lott’s high potential is backed by his explosive quickness and overall athletic tools. He’ll get to learn how to be more consistent alongside one of the best defensive tackles in the league.”
That kind of verbiage just doesn’t ring true for a second-round pick. And while Darius Alexander may not be a perfect fit for the Chiefs’ 4-3 defense, he rated higher than Norman-Lott and has more potential to develop into a standout, according to nfl.com.
“Interior lineman with the size, length, and physicality for consideration in odd or even fronts,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “Alexander is capable of destroying blocks, but he needs to do a better job of balancing his force to control the action at the point of attack. He can hold his ground when he’s staying low, but the pad level is inconsistent and causes his gap constriction to be hit-or-miss. Alexander has above-average rush acumen. His best football could be ahead of him.”
But there’s more to this miss than picking Norman-Lott over Alexander. And that’s the Chiefs passing on serious talent at another position.
Not only did the Chiefs pick Norman-Lott over a cornerback, they came back in the third round at pick No. 66 with Ashton Gillotte out of Louisville. The edge projects as an average starter. The Chiefs could have gotten much better value looking at a secondary pick here.
Remianing on the board were Darien Porter (Raiders), Azaerey’h Thomas (Jets), and Shavon Revel Jr. (Cowboys). Any of those three players would have been a better pick. The division for Raiders were certainly happy the Chiefs didn’t pluck Porter away from them, according to raiders.com.
“It’s very easy to recognize that Darien Porter is an elite level athlete,” Raiders GM John Spytek said. “From the testing numbers,...
