Final Chiefs 7-round 2024 NFL Mock Draft: Brett Veach trades up in the first round

Appearing in 20 games at left tackle for Penn State over the past two seasons, Fashanu allowed no sacks and just 17 total pressures. He didn't allow a single sack across his entire career with the Nittany Lions. He's easily one of the best pass protectors in the class, and landing him at pick No. 23 would be a verifiable steal for the Chiefs and Brett Veach.

Fashanu does have some limitations in the run game, which might be why some teams opted for players like Fuaga and Latham beforehand. He's not going to create a ton of movement off the line of scrimmage, but at 6-foot-6 and 313 pounds, he does a good job of body-blocking, redirecting and generally warding off defenders. He's not one to serve up pancakes regularly, but he creates quite the barrier between defenders and the ball carrier. 

Round 2 No. 64 overall: Ohio State DT Michael Hall Jr.

The Chiefs don't "need" interior defensive line help per se. However, adding to a group with just two players on long-term deals wouldn't be a terrible decision for Kansas City. The idea behind adding a player like Hall is pretty simple. You get a defensive tackle who can eat some of Chris Jones' snaps to keep him fresh and give him more opportunities to rush outside. Hall can probably do a bit of that himself as well. He has one the quickest time-to-pressure of any defensive tackle in this class, and that's very apparent watching his tape.

The big knock on Hall is that he's a bit undersized for the interior defensive line at 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds, but you wouldn't necessarily know that from his ability in the run game. He can drop the anchor with the best of them and his size creates natural leverage to get under the pads of some bigger players. Pound-for-pound, he's one of the stronger defensive linemen in this class despite his size. I'm not sure you'd often want him aligning at 0-tech, but he won't exactly be bullied in the ground game.

Hall took a top-30 visit with the Chiefs and he recently spoke to our A to Z Sports' Destin Adams. He had this to say about what teams are getting should they select him in the 2024 NFL draft: "I'm just a pure DAWG, somebody who's going to be a leader, by example, and accountable. I'm going to be transparent with my coaches and my teammates. My work ethic is through the roof, and that's just how I operate. I'm so passionate about this game. Whatever team gives me an opportunity will definitely be getting a dawg out of me."

Round 3 No. 95 overall: Alabama WR Jermaine Burton

Not only do the Chiefs wait until the third round for a wide receiver, but they take one who has been given the pre-draft "character concerns" designation. According to Go Long TD's Bob McGinn, Burton is off at least two teams’ draft boards due to character issues. This seems to stem from the fact that he bounced around different schools (both in high school and college) where there was friction between Burton and the respective coaching staff. There is also the 2022 Tennessee game, where he allegedly struck a fan who had stormed the field after Alabama's loss. 

A shade over 6-foot and 196 pounds, Burton is a talented athlete. He ran a 4.45s 40-yard dash, jumped a 38.5-inch vertical and a 133-inch broad jump at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Burton was one of the most successful receivers in college football against both man coverage and press coverage a season ago, showing the ability to get open against SEC talent. He runs an impressive route tree, especially short and intermediate routes. He didn't have a problem getting open deep, but his quarterback didn't exactly help him with timely or accurate passes.

To our knowledge, Kansas City hasn't done a lot of background on Burton, which could make this pick unlikely. On the field, he has first-round talent and sometimes that's enough in the NFL. Andy Reid has often given way to a player's talent and ability in such situations. However, with Kadarius Toney's struggles and Rashee Rice's recent off-field situation, this might be a prospect they decide to steer clear of altogether just to avoid any issues. Other receivers could be available at this pick such as UCF's Javon Baker, Virginia's Malik Washington, or Washington's Jalen McMillan, but I'm not sure any carry the upside that Burton has on the football field.

Round 4 No. 131 overall: Texas A&M OG Layden Robinson

A career right guard, Robinson was tremendous in pass protection for the 10 games he played during 2021 for Texas A&M. He allowed just nine total pressures and no sacks on 324 passing snaps according to PFF. He struggled the following season, allowing four sacks and 36 total pressures. In 2023, he took a step in the right direction with just 16 pressures allowed (1 sack) in just over 400 passing snaps. He has good core strength and anchor, but can sometimes get caught lunging. His blitz pickups are some of the best in this class from the right guard position. 

His ability in the run game should appeal greatly to the Chiefs. Especially when considering a potential future without Trey Smith, who is set to become a free agent in the 2025 NFL offseason. Robinson has a ton of raw power and gets good movement off the snap. He's a savvy and strong lead-blocker who can take multiple defenders out of the play. He does a fantastic job moving laterally in both zone and gap schemes as well. 

Round 5 No. 158 overall: Utah CB Miles Battle

One of the hidden gems of the 2024 NFL draft, Battle is a perimeter cornerback listed at 6-foot-3 and 197 pounds. Battle began his career playing wide receiver at Ole Miss before eventually switching to the defensive side of the ball as a redshirt sophomore in 2020. He transferred to Utah for his redshirt senior campaign in 2023. 

Battle ran a 4.37s 40-yard dash and jumped a 37-inch vertical at his pro day. Miles is one of six Tier 1 “cBAT" qualifiers in the 2024 NFL draft (find the rest in the KCSN Draft Guide), which typically indicates a much greater chance of contributing quickly in the league. He's physical with a quick trigger in the run game, boasting zero missed tackles during the 2023 college football season. He has natural ball skills, three interceptions, and 15 passes defended in his past three seasons of play.

Round 5 No. 173 overall (compensatory): Memphis RB Blake Watson

After dominating at Old Dominion since 2018, Watson transferred to Memphis in 2023 and had an All-American season. In just 13 games played with 10 starts, he led the Tigers with 192 carries for 1,152 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 53 passes for 480 yards and three receiving touchdowns.

The 5-foot-9 and 200-pound running back was inexplicably a non-combine invite, but he reminded everyone of his elite athleticism at the Memphis Pro Day. He ran a 4.4s 40-yard dash, a 4.32s short shuttle, a 7.13s three-cone, and jumped a 41.5-inch vertical and a 135-inch broad jump. 

Watson could be the perfect lightning to Isiah Pacheco's thunder that the Chiefs have lacked in recent years. 

Round 7 No. 221 overall: TCU S Millard Bradford

Another prospect who took a top-30 visit with the team. At 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds, Bradford is a bit undersized, which is likely the main reason he's expected to be available on Day 3. He proved to be a talented athlete at the combine, where his 4.42-second 40-yard dash time ranked second among all safety prospects. He also posted a 38.5-inch vertical jump and a 124-inch broad jump. This pick screams Dave Toub, as Bradford has over 500 special teams snaps during his career at TCU. He also played 190 snaps in the slot for TCU in 2023, which gives him some hybrid ability for Kansas City. Bradford visited the Chiefs ahead of the 2024 NFL draft and this could be a case of grabbing a player you like rather than risking him getting scooped by another team as a priority undrafted free agent.