The Kansas City Chiefs will enter the 2025 NFL Draft with a simple, but challenging goal. It's time for GM Brett Veach and his staff to give superstar Patrick Mahomes more help if they want him to earn another Super Bowl title for the franchise.
The team's relatively modest approach to free agency only heightens the pressure on the organization to nail their premium picks in this year's draft. Particularly close attention will be paid to adding to the offense's ability to produce explosive plays.
That can be achieved in a few different ways. Priority one for the franchise will be to give Mahomes more protection than he received last year. Keeping Trey Smith was a good, but expensive move. Finding a tackle who can grow into a long-term star would greatly increase Kansas City's odds of future success.
Giving Mahomes more explosive playmakers to leverage in the pass game would also be advisable. The wide receiver group lacks a bona fide No. 1 star on the outside. Travis Kelce can't play at a high level forever. It's time for the Chiefs to continue their skill position overhaul.
Without delay, here's what the Chiefs should do in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Chiefs mock draft Round 1 pick: Josh Conerly Jr.
A flawless tackle prospect is not going to fall into the Chiefs' hands with the No. 31 overall pick. The emphasis for Kansas City should be finding a tackle with a high ceiling who they can develop.
Josh Conerly Jr. presents them with a perfect project. He has elite feet on the outside which help him project to be a high-quality pass blocker at the pro level. He was outstanding for Oregon in that regard even when he was left alone on the edge against elite pass rushers.
Conerly's weakness is his lack of functional strength. He gets into real trouble whenever an opposing lineman gets into his body and can steer him with his hands. That lack of physicality means Conerly isn't going to be ready to perform well enough to be an immediate starter.
The Chiefs can afford to bed him into their lineup slowly. Landing him in Round 1 would immediately make him the franchise's left tackle of the future. It might take a season or two for him to start to churn out positive value, but he's well worth the risk at this juncture in the first round.
Chiefs mock draft Round 2 pick: Jack Bech
The Chiefs' offense has Xavier Worthy to threaten opposing secondaries over the top. What they lack is a consistent outside receiver who can work intermediate routes to keep drives moving.
That's where Bech can excel at the pro level. He lacks the elite athletic profile to make deep routes hum, but he's a smooth athlete with above-average body control. Once he adds a little more strength and technique to his game he will blossom into a nightmare for opposing defenders on short and intermediate patterns.
Bech might not have as much upside as some Chiefs' fans would like but that's hard to find at the bottom of Round 2. Mahomes should be very happy if he gets the opportunity to add Bech to his receiver room in 2025.
Chiefs mock draft Round 3 pick: Benjamin Morrison
The Chiefs' bonus pick in this draft comes at No. 66. This selection acquired from the Titans gives Kansas City a chance to land a potential difference-maker in the secondary.
Benjamin Morrison began the pre-draft process with first round buzz before injuries limited his last season at Notre Dame. The Chiefs should go back to what Morrison put on flim during his last healthy campaign to project how he can help their secondary.
At his best, Morrison shows good quickness and elite ball skills in both man and zone coverage. Add in the versatility to play inside and outside and it's easy to see how he can help the Chiefs in a number of ways. Look for this to be the franchise that takes advantage of his declining draft position.
Chiefs mock draft Round 3 pick: Harold Fannin, Jr.
Harold Fannin Jr. isn't going to impress anyone as an in-line blocker but that's not what the Chiefs will want him to do. They can draft him to be their TE2 to leverage in a variety of positions as a flex or slot-receiver.
The former Bowling Green standout isn't the most fluid athlete, but he has good straight-line speed that helps him pressure opposing secondaries on seam and go routes. Lining him up on the opposite side of the field as Worthy would put a lot of stress on opposing defenses.
The Chiefs might want to roll the dice on an edge rusher here but getting an explosive tight end has more upside. Fannin might take some time to adjust to the rigors of NFL football but he can give Kansas City's offense a new dimension once he does.