Every year, fans get excited about the best players in the class and players who will likely hear their names called in the first round. But the reality is that the best teams win the draft in the later rounds, hitting on players who were not expected to play significant roles.
The Chiefs have had immense success drafting in the later rounds of the draft especially at cornerback, running back, and linebacker. This year, Kansas City has three selections on day two as well as four on day three including 3 in the seventh round. While the Chiefs are all but guaranteed to move around some on draft day, they will be picking in the middle-to-later rounds of the draft quite often.
In order to be one of the best teams in the NFL, you have to win on draft day. The Chiefs have shown an ability to win in the later rounds of the draft and the 2025 draft could be a pivotal one for the future of the team. Here are some guys who you may not have heard of who can help the Chiefs win the draft this offseason.
1. Tai Felton, WR, Maryland
There is no player I have been higher on this off-season than Tai Felton and I have been pounding the table for the Chiefs to try and land Felton all off-season. I have consistently had Felton as a top-50 prospect since early October and I still have a couple more weeks to push my agenda before draft day.
Felton came into the season as a sixth-round prospect for me but had maybe the best start to the season of any receiver in all of college football. In just the first four games of the season, he put up mind-boggling numbers with over 600 yards, five touchdowns and 41 receptions. Almost all against somewhat solid competition including two draft prospects.
Felton has elite production but is also one of the best athletes in the draft and put on a show at the combine. He is a true jack of all trades who can get open quickly, make plays with the ball in his hands as well as make tough catches in contested situations. In a wide receiver class where there are very few top prospects compared to other years, Felton may very well be one of the most well-rounded pass catchers in the draft.
In my final wide receiver rankings, Felton ranked as my fifth-best receiver with a second-round grade. He also currently sits at 47 on my top fifty big board. Most analysts have Felton going around pick No. 100 and have him ranked outside of their top 10 receivers. But if he is available for the Chiefs on day three, or even late in the third round, they could get a steal.
2. O'Donnell Fortune, CB, South Carolina
Fortune is a name I have not heard come up hardly at all this offseason, but is someone that I think deserves much more attention than he has been getting.
I have been a big fan of O'Donnell Fortune since last season and he sits sixth on my final cornerback rankings with a top fifty grade. The consensus boards have Fortune as a seventh-round pick or even as a UDFA and I think he has the potential to be one of the biggest steals in the draft.
The Chiefs have a history of success drafting corners late in the draft with good athletic traits with guys like L'Jarius Sneed, Charvarius Ward and Jaylen Watson all becoming very solid NFL corners.
Fortune has a great all-around skillset with length and quickness to be a consistent outside corner in the NFL. Some analysts have concerns with footwork and his pro day did not display great physical measurements or testing. But despite these numbers, the film tells a different story, and Fortune never really struggled against faster receivers and used his length and ball skills to consistently impact the game.
A guy like Fortune fits exactly what the Chiefs like to see with a corner prospect as he has a great frame and can be molded to fit into their defensive scheme. With the Chiefs past success developing late-round corners, if he is available for one of their seventh-round picks, he should be at the top of their board and could make an impact much earlier than people think