Chiefs 2024 NFL Draft Grades: KC's Class Ranked 13th in Recent List

With the 2024 NFL Draft's opening round somehow already a week in the past, local and national analysts are breaking down each club's performance in one of the league's biggest annual events. For the Kansas City Chiefs and general manager Brett Veach, the feedback has been mostly positive.

Thanks to some smart trades in the opening rounds and good value propositions on Day 3, Kansas City receives quality marks for a job well done. That's no different in Dane Brugler's team-by-team draft class rankings for The Athletic. Brugler has the reigning champions checking in at 13th overall, praising two specific selections in the process.

Brugler's favorite pick? Fourth-round safety Jaden Hicks.

"If needed, I’ll go down with the ship on this one," Brugler wrote. "Hicks was viewed as a Day 2 prospect by numerous teams, but he fell through the cracks and landed in a favorable situation with Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Hicks has the intimidation factor of a strong safety and the athletic tools to hold up in coverage. Even if there isn’t a clear path for him to start right away in Kansas City, he will get on the field in some way as a rookie."

Hicks seems to be the one that's universally praised following the Chiefs' draft. He landed on Field Yates' "best picks" list, and his availability at 133rd overall relative to the consensus boards certainly helped. The do-it-all safety is a good athlete with solid experience under his belt — he'll help round out Spagnuolo and Dave Merritt's secondary as soon as possible.

Brugler's pick for a "Day 3 selecton who could surprise" is fifth-round interior offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad.

"One of the smartest prospects in this class, Nourzad doesn’t have overwhelming athleticism or strength, but he processes everything very quickly and is well-schooled with his technique to gain proper leverage," Brugler said. "He has experience at tackle, guard and center and could be a viable starting option at right guard in 2025, if the Chiefs aren’t able to re-sign Trey Smith."

Nourzad is a player with plenty of reps and, as Brugler mentioned, a ton of football smarts. A Chiefs scout said the Penn State man is "absolutely" a possible replacement plan for Nick Allegretti, who left via free agency earlier this offseason. Nourzad won't be a starter right off the bat — heck, he may never be one — but he offers depth and versatility at both guard spots and even center as needed.

In all, the Chiefs' 2024 rookie class may not play a ton from top to bottom immediately. While first- and second-rounders Xavier Worthy and Kingsley Suamataia could potentially play significant roles, the Day 3 picks will have to earn their keep. Part of that is the nature of being a late-round pick, and part of it is due to Veach's excellence in recent drafts. As Kansas City continues to get younger, there's only so much room for newcomers to play with others having already stepped up.

As a result, this No. 13 ranking may be apt for the time being.