Getty Former Oregon offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia.
The Kansas City Chiefs could go in many different directions on Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Take for example PFF Brad Spielberger’s trade proposal in which the two-time defending Super Bowl champions trade up for the potential future starting left tackle for Kansas City.
Spielberger proposed that the Chiefs trade the No. 32 and No. 95 picks to the Detroit Lions in exchange for the No. 28 and No. 164 picks. With the 28th overall pick, Kansas City would then select BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia.
“The Chiefs are sitting in a very familiar spot with the No. 32 overall pick, and the last two teams they defeated en route to a Super Bowl in the Baltimore Ravens at No. 30 and the San Francisco 49ers at No. 31 also need reinforcements at tackle,” Spielberger wrote on March 27. “Kansas City added a Day 3 pick and a 2025 third-rounder in the L’Jarius Sneed trade with the Tennessee Titans, and general manager Brett Veach has never been afraid to move up at the bottom of the first round for a player he covets, most recently landing All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.
“Suamataia earned an 86.1 pass-blocking grade in 2023 with just six pressures allowed, and he moves fairly well for his size,” Spielberger continued. “He may not be a plug-and-play starter, in need of development with perhaps another stopgap veteran like Donovan Smith in 2023, but the upside potential for the 21-year-old is very enticing.”
Chiefs Should Sit Back, Take Best Player Available Approach
The Chiefs could move up for a player who is falling in the draft and is very high on their draft board, similar to when they traded up for McDuffie in 2022. But it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Kingsley Suamataia is high enough on Kansas City’s draft board that the Chiefs feel the need to trade up in the first round to get him.
Though Suamataia could develop into a solid starter, he’s not projected to be an immediate NFL starter. That makes the Chiefs — who are in win-now mode as they continue their quest for a three-peat — an odd spot for Suamataia to land on Day 1 of the draft.
“Suamataia is a dream prospect to draft and develop somewhere on Day 2. I worry about him being baptized by fire if he is drafted in the first round and called upon to start right away,” PFF’s scouting department wrote about Suamataia in the company’s scouting report on him.
Instead, the Chiefs could add a player in the first round that will have a more immediate impact on the field as a rookie, which could be a wide receiver, cornerback, or another offensive tackle, depending on how the board shakes out.
Details for 2024 NFL Draft
The next big event on the NFL calendar is the 2024 NFL Draft, which takes place from April 25 to April 27 in Detroit, Michigan. It will be available to watch on ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network.
The Chiefs have seven picks in this year’s draft:
- Round 1: Pick 32
- Round 2: Pick 64
- Round 3: Pick 95
- Round 4: Pick 131
- Round 5: Pick 159 (from DAL)
- Round 5: Pick 173 (compensatory)
- Round 7: Pick 227 (from TEN)