Chiefs headlines for Monday, April 28
The latest
Our favorite 2025 NFL Draft picks: Cam Skattebo, Colston Loveland and 30 more players | The Athletic
Kansas City Chiefs: Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State
Pick: Round 4, No. 133
Royals is going to wind up being a Deebo Samuel-type player in Andy Reid’s offense, posing a threat as a pass catcher on a variety of routes, as a ball carrier and also as a return man. The former running back will make plays all over the field. Seventh-rounder Brashard Smith — an SMU running back who had played wide receiver at Miami — is a close second because of the dynamic playmaking ability, versatility and speed he’ll bring to the offense and return game. — Mike Jones
Five Things to Know About Chiefs Seventh-Round Pick RB Brashard Smith | The Mothership
3. He ran the third-fastest 40-yard dash of any running back at the Combine.
Smith tallied a 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this year, which trailed only Bhayshul Tuten and Jaydon Blue among all running backs at the event.
He showed off that speed on a regular basis last season, too. His 19 plays of 20+ yards ranked in the top five among all FBS running backs.
29. Kansas City Chiefs: Cayden Green, OG, Missouri
Missouri has done an excellent job producing offensive linemen; two were drafted this year alone. Green, a one-time Oklahoma transfer, has prototypical size and power for an offensive guard. The Chiefs identify their replacement for Joe Thuney a year after making the move.
Grading Every Team’s Performance in the 2025 NFL Draft | The Ringer
Kansas City Chiefs
GRADE
B+
I don’t know if there’s a true star in this group, but the Chiefs scooped up a bunch of soon-to-be contributors on every day of the draft. Assuming he can stay healthy after coming back from a torn patellar injury, Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons has the potential to become the team’s long-term starter at left tackle. Tennessee defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott was a rotational player for the Vols, but brings big-time juice as a situational pass rusher from the inside. I love Louisville edge rusher Ashton Gillotte’s game, too. He’s big, physical, and super savvy with his hands, using punches and swipes to discard blocks and get into the backfield. Cal corner Nohl Williams is a ball hawk (with an FBS-best seven picks in 2024), and Utah State Jalen Royals has a Rashee Rice–type skill set as a catch-and-run playmaker.
Around the NFL
NFL says 600,000 fans attended the draft in Green Bay | NBC Sports
The league announced that 600,000 attended the draft in Green Bay. While that’s down from last year’s all-time record of 775,000 in Detroit, Detroit is a much larger city and metropolitan area.
It’s impressive. It merits praise. Green Bay hit a home run.
That said, it’s high time that we come to terms with the fact that the crowd-size numbers trumpeted by the league carry a not-so-subtle alternative-facts vibe.
The first point should be obvious. There wasn’t a crowd of 600,000 at one specific time. That was the total attendance for the three days, lumped together.
Son of Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich found to have prank called Shedeur Sanders during NFL draft | NFL.com
“Earlier in the week, Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, unintentionally came across the draft contact phone number for Shedeur Sanders off an open iPad while visiting his parent’s home and wrote the number down to later conduct a prank call,” the Falcons’ statement read. “Jeff Ulbrich was unaware of the data exposure or any facets of the prank and was made aware of the above only after the fact.
“The Atlanta Falcons do not condone this behavior and send our sincere apologies to Shedeur Sanders and his family, who we have been in contact with to apologize to, as well as facilitate an apology directly from Jax to the Sanders family.
“We have also been in contact with the NFL and will continue to cooperate fully with any inquiries we may receive from the NFL league office.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs Draft: 6 winners and 3 losers from NFL Draft weekend
Winners
Running back Isiah Pacheco: In a good running back class, everyone expected the Chiefs to be looking for an upgrade. After nearly crossing the 1,000-yard mark in 2023, a fractured fibula cost him several games in 2024. When he was able to return, Pacheco wasn’t as explosive as he was in previous seasons, splitting time with Kareem Hunt. By waiting until Round 7 to draft running back Brashard Smith, the Chiefs indicated that they believe Pacheco should be back to himself in 2025. Smith is an explosive complement to what Pacheco and Hunt bring to the table, as opposed to a bell-cow replacement.
Defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott: This class was full of defensive line prospects, and Omarr Norman-Lott wasn’t expected to be drafted quite as high as where the Chiefs took him. His five-year college career resulted in limited snaps and inconsistent film, but the traits and production were there. His best-case scenario was to be drafted by a team with a great coaching staff that had a defined role for him. If all goes to plan, Norman-Lott could slide right into the rotation as a pass-rush specialist, taking the snaps vacated by Tershawn Wharton. He’ll have an opportunity to show everyone he was underrated in the draft process.
Social media to make you think
Utah State WR Jalen Royals is the steal of the draft. Should’ve been off the board over 50 picks ago. Was the 66th overall player in Dane Brugler’s Beast. Smooth athlete with great ball skills. Fits perfectly alongside Rice & Worthy. Brett Veach is officially back on a heater.
— Adam Best (@Arrowhead_Adam) April 26, 2025
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