KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the third time in four seasons as Chiefs general manager, Brett Veach won’t have a first-round pick Thursday during the 2021 NFL Draft.
It’s still possible, though unlikely, that Kansas City will trade back into the first round, but unless that happens, Clyde Edwards-Helaire — the 32nd and final pick in the first round of the 2020 draft — will remain the lone first-round pick of Veach’s tenure.
LISTEN | 2021 NFL Draft preview: Who the Chiefs should take next weekend
He gets credited with the Chiefs’ selection of Patrick Mahomes in the first round of the 2017 draft — as the late, great Terez Paylor chronicled in September 2018 — but technically John Dorsey was the GM at the time.
Veach’s initial first-round pick was traded to Buffalo as part of the deal to move up and select Mahomes in 2017.
One year later, Veach shipped his first-round pick to Seattle in the deal that netted defensive end Frank Clark.
After picking Edwards-Helaire, who totaled 1,100 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns last season, Veach traded Kansas City’s 2021 first-round pick to Baltimore for left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. last week.
That means the Chiefs aren't scheduled to pick until Friday’s second round when Veach gets to mull the possibilities at Nos. 58 and 63. Kansas City also has four picks in Saturday's later rounds.
RELATED | Nick Jacobs' 5th annual Kansas City Chiefs 'best fits' draft big board
RELATED | Nick Jacobs' seven-round Chiefs prediction mock draft
Who might be available and who should the Chiefs draft in those spots? “4th & 1” podcast host Tod Palmer offers his insight in this seven-round mock draft:
Second round, No. 58 overall
LB Nick Bolton, Missouri
5-11, 237
Bolton’s top-end speed and lateral agility probably makes him an undersized middle linebacker in the NFL, but he’s explosive and instinctive. He also makes sure the ball-carrier knows when he’s arrived.
Dropping into coverage, Bolton’s instincts show up again and he’s been a playmaker against the pass. He’d give Kansas City the chance to move on from Anthony Hitchens and save some money against the salary cap in 2022, because he’s got the leadership and communication skills to call the defense and play all three downs.
If Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore, Oklahoma defensive end Ronnie Perkins or Florida State cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. slide down this far, both would be great additions for the Chiefs and worth snagging.
Second round, No. 63 overall
DE Joseph Ossai, Texas
6-4, 256
Ossai is raw talent. He moved to Texas from Nigeria with his family at age 10, so he’s relatively new to football and very new to the edge rusher position after moving from inside linebacker.
He’s at his best attacking up field with plenty of speed and strength to get after the quarterback and set an edge. Ossai’s motor sets him apart, which offsets the work he needs to clean up his technique and polish his pass-rush counter moves.
If the Chiefs are serious about addressing defensive end in the draft, which arguably projects as the biggest need now, it can’t wait until the end of the fourth round. Ossai might be a slight reach at No. 63, but if he’s productive on the end will anyone care once the season begins?
North Carolina’s Dyami Brown is the most likely option if the Chiefs go with a receiver here and I wouldn’t hate snagging Indiana safety Jamar Johnson, since no NFL team can have enough studs in the secondary.
If Wisconsin-Whitewater guard Quinn Meinerz is available here, he’s worth considering. The Chiefs are set long-term at left guard, but every other position on the offensive line remains uncertain beyond 2021 (unless and until the Chiefs sign Brown to an extension at left tackle). Meinerz could be the long-term solution at center or, at worst, right guard.
Fourth round, No. 144 overall
TE Zach Davidson, Central Missouri
6-7, 245
Davidson has very good speed for his size and runs nice routes. He’s got some ability to make contested catches down field and should be able to create big plays after the catch.
Blocking isn’t Davidson’s strength, but that was true for Tony Gonzalez and Travis Kelce coming into the NFL as well and things worked out just fine. If he’s a playmaker the Chiefs covet, waiting until the fifth round may not be an option.
If the Chiefs prefer to add a wide receiver here, Stanford’s Simi Fehoko, Iowa’s Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Auburn’s Anthony Schwartz make sense. If edge rusher still needs to be addressed, Vanderbilt’s Dayo Odeyingbo wouldn’t be a bad option.
Fifth round, No. 175 overall
WR Simi Fehoko, Stanford
6-4, 222
As mentioned above, depending on how high the Chiefs have Fehoko graded, he might be a fourth-round possibility, especially if Veach isn’t convinced he’ll last until pick No. 175. Many have him graded out in the fifth-round range, so we’ll go ahead and mock him to the Chiefs here.
Fehoko is not a burner, but he’s got good body control and fights for contested catches.
He tracks the deep ball well, making him a downfield threat against single coverage, and has the size to be useful in the red zone.
If the Chiefs still need to address linebacker, perhaps they will get lucky and Purdue’s Derrick Barnes will still be on the board.
Fifth round, No. 181 overall
G David Moore, Grambling State
6-2, 330
Moore has very long arms and is deceptively athletic for a man his size. He’s more polished as a run blocker at the moment, but has enough intangible traits — the size, the speed, the length — to make him worth bringing in as insurance at center and right guard down the road.
Illinois guard Kendrick Green may also be an option here as well, if he’s available and the Chiefs have a higher grade on him, or Iowa defensive end Chauncey Golston, if defensive end hasn’t been addressed.
There also might be some intriguing cornerbacks — Michigan State’s Shakur Brown, Washington’s Keith Taylor Jr. or Tennessee’s Bruce Thompson — still available.
If not, the Chiefs should hope Texas A&M tackle David Moore Jr. is available or a talented defensive end like Pittsburgh’s Rashad Weaver slid to them.
Sixth round, No. 207 overall
CB Darren Hall, San Diego State
5-11, 188
For the purposes of this mock draft, supplementing the secondary seemed prudent at this stage. Hall isn’t a perfect prospect, but none are at this point in the draft. He brings versatility and good play recognition, which is critical with the pattern-matching the Chiefs ask defensive backs to do.
I wouldn’t be shocked if the Chiefs opt to shore up the defensive line with BYU’s Khyiris Tonga, who looks like a capable replacement for Derrick Nnadi, or Texas A&M’s Bobby Brown III — though Kansas City may need to snag Tonga in the fifth round, given his rising draft stock.
