Kansas City Chiefs' 5 Biggest Needs in 2024 NFL Draft

The Chiefs are onto the offseason as the team hopes to reload the roster for potentially the first three-peat in NFL history.

While Patrick Mahomes and the defense helped lead Kansas City to the promised land, this was by no means a perfect roster. It was a frustrating season for much of the year, and Brett Veach knows there are ways to improve the team's chances moving forward.

Given the contract negotiations with players like Chris Jones and L'Jarius Sneed as well, Veach has a lot of work ahead of him in the coming months. With that in mind, let's go through the Chiefs' five biggest needs in the NFL Draft as the combine gets underway soon.

KC Chiefs' 5 Biggest Needs in 2024 NFL Draft

1. Wide Receiver

The Chiefs' needing major upgrades at wide receiver is the worst-kept secret in the city. Despite Rashee Rice's emergence as one of the best young wideouts in football, Kansas City led the NFL in dropped passes (44) and saw no other receiver eclipse even 500 yards.

Justin Watson is likely to be back, but Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman, Kadarius Toney and Richie James could all be on new squads next year. With a loaded free agent class highlighted by Mike Evans on top of one of the best receiver drafts we've seen in years, I expect at least two acquisitions, if not three.

The Chiefs, of course, have the last pick of the first round, though they should be able to land a talented playmaker with one of their first few picks. Guys like Adonai Mitchell, Keon Coleman, and Troy Franklin stand out, though Veach may wait until the second round as he did with Rice and Skyy Moore.

Whether the Chiefs draft a receiver, look at a free agent target or do both, this is the position all of Chiefs Kingdom's eyes will be on as the offseason really gets underway.

This next position isn't as glamorous, but it's equally as important.

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2. Offensive Line

Creed Humphrey has the center position held down, though the Chiefs need some extra bodies at tackle and guard.

Donovan Smith isn't under contract next year after serving as the team's left tackle in 2023. Third-round pick Wanya Morris will likely slide in to start as he did when Smith was injured, but Kansas City needs some depth pieces in the event someone gets hurt. We saw firsthand in the Super Bowl loss to the Buccaneers what can happen when you don't have proper depth, and I doubt Veach is ever taking that risk again.

It's also time to consider grooming a prospect to potentially take Joe Thuney's place in a couple of years. He's got two more years left on the five-year, $80 million contract he signed with the club and will be 33 by the time the end rolls around.

Its possible the team keeps Thuney, as he's arguably the best guard in the entire league, but you can never have too many depth pieces on the line in general. Andy Reid values linemen who can play across multiple positions, so a versatile guy in the middle rounds of the NFL draft makes a lot of sense.

That being said, Nick Allegretti performed admirably in Thuney's place in the Super Bowl. Perhaps he's the heir apparent, though I'd like Veach to snag at least one more lineman just in case. It wouldn't stun me if he even takes a tackle at the end of the first round.

After all, keeping Patrick Mahomes upright is the most important priority every year for the Chiefs.

3. Interior Defensive Line

This mostly is dependent on whether or not Chris Jones signs a long-term extension. If he does, the Chiefs will need depth alongside Derrick Nnadi and possibly Mike Pennel. If he doesn't? Whew buddy, this jumps near the top of the priority list.

George Karlaftis and Charles Omenihu were both fantastic on the outside and it's possible Mike Danna sticks around as well. Last year's first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah is expected to play a role next year, so it's really just the interior of the line that needs some more bodies.

We know how much Brett Veach loves pass rushers too, and I expect multiple acquisitions along the defensive line.

It's not an exaggeration to say the interior pressure the Chiefs had in the Super Bowl was perhaps the biggest reason they won aside from Mahomes' heroics.

Maintaining the ability to create that pressure up the middle and disrupt offenses is critical to keeping this defense along the top of the NFL.

Jones is the most important piece, though I expect some additions here as well.

4. Linebacker

Nick Bolton is on the final year of his rookie deal, while Willie Gay Jr. and Drue Tranquill both are not under contract in 2024. All three were excellent throughout the season, with Tranquill in particular seeming like a guy that Veach will work hard to keep.

Gay Jr. has seemingly accepted the notion that he won't be signed, and it's unclear what the Chiefs' future plans are with Bolton, who is a leader on the defense but will likely require a hefty contract extension.

Given the importance of linebackers in Steve Spagnuolo's scheme, that makes this a huge priority. We saw game-changing plays from Bolton in last year's Super Bowl win and frequently from Tranquill throughout this playoff run, buoyed by the pressure the defensive line provided and exceptional coverage from the secondary. Linebackers are essentially the glue here, so drafting one to start developing would be wise.

Whether the acquisition needs to be a high draft pick or a middle-rounds one to be developed mostly depends on what happens with Gay Jr. and Tranquill.

If the Chiefs need to replace two starters in the middle of the defense, which I consider unlikely for what it's worth, Veach will need to spend adequate draft capital to shore up the unit.

Both Bolton and Gay Jr. were second-round picks. Could Veach go back to the second-round well this year? We'll soon find out.

5. Running Back

Isiah Pacheco is a rising star in the league, fresh off a spectacular season with well over 1,000 scrimmage yards, but his rushing style does put his body at risk of injury and the Chiefs need some depth behind him.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is a free agent and Jerick McKinnon is a 32-year-old oft-injured back. The Chiefs like Deneric Prince and La'Mical Perine on the practice squad, though there's plenty of enticing options in the latter rounds of the draft as well.

After taking Pacheco in the seventh round and Darwin Thompson in the sixth, Veach has shown a propensity to draft running backs late. Perhaps a guy like Wisconsin's Braelon Allen or Tennessee's Jaylen Wright could make sense as a balance to Pacheco?

It's also unclear if the Chiefs intend to keep Pacheco long-term. Running back contracts are fading into obscurity, and Pacheco's violent rushing style could give Veach pause about signing him long-term.

That'd be a sad situation given how beloved Pacheco is in the fanbase, though if Veach is considering moving on from the back at the end of his rookie deal, this is a perfect time to draft his eventual replacement.

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