The Kansas City Chiefs have made plenty of rivals on their way to becoming the NFL’s premiere dynasty. But their rivalries extend far beyond the playing field as they look to find players in this weekend’s draft.
The Chiefs have some needs to fill when the draft begins on Thursday and Kansas City has eight selections to try and find some talent to get them back to their championship standard. Unfortunately, other teams have the same idea and it could lead to some rival trying to beat the Chiefs to the punch.
With a few days before the draft, it appears the Chiefs and one of their biggest rivals have their eyes on the same player and it could be a race to see who pulls the trigger first when the draft begins.
Chiefs, Bengals Among Teams Linked to Aireontae Ersery in NFL Draft
According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, the Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals are among 10 teams who scheduled pre-draft visits with Minnesota offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery. The former member of the Golden Gophers is considered to be one of the top tackles in this year’s class and Schultz suggests he could sneak into the first round if there’s a run on linemen Thursday night.
It’s not a surprise to see that teams are interested in Ersery. The 6-foot-6, 331-pound tackle was a force at Minnesota and profiles as an ideal blocker in a zone scheme thanks to his athleticism. He also was sturdy in pass protection with 12 pressures on 419 pass blocking snaps according to Pro Football Focus and could become a NFL starter if he improves his technique.
The Chiefs are interested in an offensive tackle after watching Patrick Mahomes get sacked six times in their Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. While Kansas City signed Jaylon Moore to a two-year, $30 million contract in free agency, Ersery would be a long-term solution after a year or two of development.
Unfortunately, the Chiefs aren’t the only team with that idea. The Bengals are in the market for an offensive lineman as former Kansas City lineman Orlando Brown Jr. has been a disappointment since signing a four-year, $64 million contract in free agency and 2024 first-round pick Amarius Mims struggled in his rookie season, allowing 33 pressures on 521 pass-blocking snaps per PFF.
The Bengals have an advantage sitting with the 17th overall pick in the first round on Thursday night but there are other teams interested including the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers.
If the Chiefs can beat those teams to the punch, they could wind up with one of the draft’s intriguing prospects to rebuild their offensive line.