Round Seven, Pick 226 - RJ Oben, EDGE, Notre Dame
Oben was a guy I was high on last year while he was at Duke before he hit the transfer portal and found his way to Notre Dame. Oben was a combine snub after helping Notre Dame get to the CFB championship game last season.
Oben is a pure defensive end who has great size to use his strength to rush the passer and defend against the run. He stands at six feet four inches and weighs in around 260, the ideal weight for someone to play the 4-3 defensive end role.
Seventh-round picks have low expectations, and Oben will compete for a roster spot but has the potential to contribute early in his career. Oben is experienced and has the upside to improve into a future starter.
Round Seven, Pick 251 - Tonka Hemmingway, DT, South Carolina
Hemmingway is another very experienced player, who has spent the last five years playing at South Carolina and this year was a part of one of the best defensive lines in football. Despite never posting more than four sacks in a season, many have raved about Hemmingway being a solid athlete and a great leader in the facility.
I don't often take off-field testimony into my evaluations, but with Hemmingway, it shows up often. Despite being undersized, Hemmingway is a very good athlete who can make an impact on the game in a variety of ways.
Hemmingway is a subpar pass rusher and is on the older side which causes some concern for his future development. I think Hemmingway can be a solid rotation guy early in his career, but his low ceiling is why he falls in the draft. He can be a solid late-round pick-up for the Chiefs if they are continuing to look for depth on the interior of the defensive line.
Round Seven, Pick 257 - Francisco Mauigoa, LB, Miami
You may recognize this last name if you have gotten a chance to look at draft boards for next year. Francisco has a brother, Francis, who is widely considered a first-round offensive tackle prospect at Miami in the 2026 draft class. Francisco is the older brother, who may not have the same draft stock or profile but is a talented player in his own right.
Mauigoa is a big linebacker with tons of length and plenty of athletic upside that will translate to the NFL. His big long frame makes him a versatile player and a quality tackler who can wrap up in space as well as stick in coverage with bigger tight ends. He also has some pass-rush moves to use his length to his advantage when rushing up the middle or off the edge.
Mauigoa can be a bit slow and lacks lateral burst that will hurt his stock on some boards, and his length makes his movements predictable at times. But his good frame and potential skillset as a run stuffer and a blitzer will give him a chance to prove himself in the NFL. In this mock draft, the Chiefs add him as depth and special teams help with the potential to get significant play time in the future.
UDFA, Glendon Miller, DB, Maryland
Glendon Miller is considered a safety by most draft analysts after his successful season in College Park and performance in the Shrine Bowl. I see Miller as more of a slot CB prospect but I think he can play any of the DB positions, which makes him very moldable for Steve Spagnuolo to work with. Miller has had 7 interceptions over the last two years and will fight for a roster spot as a depth DB for the Chiefs next season.
UDFA, Bru McCoy, WR, Tennessee
In 2019 Bru McCoy was rated as the tenth best high school prospect in the nation when he committed to Tennessee. McCoys career has been rocky, as he committed to USC, but transfered to Texas for his first season, after Redshirting, he transfered back to USC. He then missed the 2021 season due to some legal troubles and found his way to Tennessee. McCoy had a gruesome ankle injury in 2023 and so there are a lot of questions about his stock. McCoy is a great athlete and who better than Andy Reid to give him a second chance.
UDFA, Caden Prieskorn, TE, Mississippi
Prieskorn is a weird watch as he transferred from Memphis to Ole Miss with the hope of getting more attention from the draft prospect. He is very skilled and you can tell that he's a great athlete and one of the best TEs in CFB. But the Ole Miss offense really doesn't use TEs very often so you don't get to see his ability at the highest level.
Prieskorn is one of the best athletes at the TE position, he has plus speed and is a really strong player all around who has skills as a pass catcher and blocker. He gets upfield quick and is a valuable blocker in space. He is hard to bring down and really is an all around skilled TE. Prieskorn is one of the most underrated TEs in the class who I think is more than capable of having a day one role in the NFL.