Say ‘Hello’ to the Kansas City Chiefs 2025 Draft Class

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- With Training Camp coming up, there are some Kansas City Chiefs rookie players to keep an eye on.

Round 1, No. 32 Overall - Josh Simmons, TACKLE, Ohio State (#71)

The Chiefs used their first-round pick (No. 32) on Simmons, who missed the final 10 games of his college career at Ohio State due to a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. Despite the injury, he was still an All-Big Ten Conference Honorable Mention at left tackle in 2024.

The 6’5”, 317-pound tackle is joining a depleted offensive line after the Chiefs lost Joe Thuney and D.J. Humphries to free agency.

Simmons has experience on both sides of the offensive line, as at San Diego State, he played a majority of his snaps at right tackle. He transferred to Ohio State in 2023, where he only allowed one sack and four quarterback hits in 443 pass block attempts throughout his first season with the Buckeyes.

Simmons is very smooth getting out of his stance and into space, which can help when pass rushers are on an island with him. He also has good hand placement, securing the rusher’s outside shoulder in pass blocking. 

The athletic tackle will start the season in a position battle with newly signed left tackle, Jaylon Moore, as Head Coach Andy Reid said Simmons will be a full participant in this year’s training camp.

Round 2, No. 63 Overall - Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee (#55)

The Chiefs elected to help the defensive line with their second overall pick. Norman-Lott is an undersized interior defensive lineman who excels in pass rushing with his high-pressure rate.

Norman-Lott is very scheme-dependent as he was a sub-package rusher for Tennessee in college. He spent his first three years at Arizona State University, where he only started three total games. In 2023, he transferred to Tennessee, where he only started in two games during a two-year period.

Don’t be fooled by the above stats, as throughout his college career, he logged 13.5 sacks and 12.5 TFLs when he was on the field.

According to NFL analyst Lance Zierlein, Norman-Lott was a projected third to fourth rounder in this year’s draft, but the Chiefs took a chance, selecting him in the second round.

Round 3, No. 66 Overall (Via Tennessee) - Ashton Gillotte, DE, Louisville (#97)

Staying with defense in the third round, Gillotte will look to help a defense that was in the bottom half of the league in total sacks last year.

For being a third-round pick, Gillotte was a menace at Louisville. In 2023, he was first-team All-ACC and ranked seventh in the FBS with 11 sacks. In 2024, he received second-team All-ACC honors while leading the team with 10 TFLs and 4.5 sacks.

Gillotte has excellent snap quickness and can collapse the pocket with power while beating the edge with his violent hands.

 With George Karlaftis being the only defensive end with good production as a pass rusher last season, Gillotte is a sneaky candidate to get a lot of playing time as a rookie.

Round 3, No. 85 Overall - Nohl Williams, CB, Cal (#20)

Three straight defensive picks for the Chiefs as they continue to bolster their young defensive back room. Williams was a lockdown corner for the Cal Golden Bears as he led the FBS with 7 INTs and tied for the team lead with 9 pass breakups (PBUs).

He earned second-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-ACC cornerback honors in his first year in the ACC.

With the Chiefs signing Kristian Fulton in free agency and already having Trent McDuffie in the secondary, Williams will most likely start the season as the third or fourth cornerback as a rookie. 

Round 4, No. 133 Overall - Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State (#11)

After three straight defensive picks, the Chiefs added to the wide receiver room to give Patrick Mahomes another weapon. 

Royals was outstanding for the Utah State Aggies. In 2023, he earned first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors and led the team with 1,080 receiving yards. In the same year, he ranked second in the FBS with a school-record 15 receiving touchdowns.

In 2024, he earned second-team All-Mountain West but missed a majority of the season with a foot injury.

Royals is a very technical wide receiver. He is always aware of where defenders are positioned and knows how to exploit gaps in the secondary. At 6’0”, 199 pounds, he has the ability to fight for jump balls and fight hard for contested throws. 

While he might not have the desired explosiveness, Royals will fit right into this Chiefs offense that is desperate for another weapon.

Round 5, No. 156 Overall - Jeffrey Bassa, LB, Oregon (#31)

Bassa played all four years of his college career for the Ducks, but only became a regular starter in 2023. 

In 2023, he earned second-team All-Pac-12 Conference while recording 72 tackles, three and a half for loss, and one interception that he returned for a touchdown in 14 games started.

Bassa has great tackling technique and tracks run plays with good effort and pursuit speed, while having great pre-snap communication.

Round 7, No. 228 Overall - Brashard Smith, RB, SMU (#30)

The Chiefs' last pick of the 2025 draft goes to the offense. 

Smith played for three years at the University of Miami before transferring in conference to Southern Methodist University (SMU) and switching positions from wide receiver to running back.

Smith earned third-team Associated Press All-American All-Purpose and first-team All-ACC in 2024. He ranked fourth in the FBS with 1,977 all-purpose yards in 10 starts. 

While being undersized at 5’10”, Smith can provide a lot of versatility for the Chiefs' offense. He can be a great kick and punt returner, as he showcased those skills at Miami. 

With Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt in the running back room already, Smith will most likely stay on special teams for the time being.