With the NFL Draft right around the corner, the Kansas City Chiefs are flush with draft picks, in what will be one of the more important drafts in general manager Brett Veach’s tenure in Kansas City. And for us Chiefs fans, when it comes to preparing for the draft in the weeks leading up to the big day, draft picks are like being attacked by a bunch of puppies who want to lick your face off; the more the merrier.
The Chiefs currently hold nine picks in next month’s event in Pittsburgh (picks: 9, 29, 40, 74, 109, 146, 167, 176, and 209), and while picking guys at the top of the draft always gives you a higher percentage of hitting on a guy who will be a quality contributor to your team, Veach has shown that he can find value at all levels of the draft.
For an example of this, look no further than the pair of cornerbacks the Chiefs just lost to the Los Angeles Rams. Trent McDuffie, who was traded away, was a blue-chip prospect and a first-round selection. But his running mate, who is joining him in California, Jaylen Watson, was a seventh-round selection and one of the final players taken in the 2022 Draft.
It’s easy to identify guys in the top 50 who fit what you want to do, but the truth is that even after free agency, the Chiefs still have several holes they need to fill on their roster. As much as we would like to plug these spots with a bunch of McDuffie’s, if we’re going to get back to competing for a Super Bowl next season, we’re going to have to find a few Watson’s along the way as well.
Arrowhead Pride
Mid-Round Mimics
I thought I would create a thread that gave us an opportunity to discuss some draft prospects that project as available at some point in the middle rounds and compare favorably to some more well-known prospects.
Obviously, the idea isn’t they are equal as prospects, but have some similarities in how they might be deployed at the next level.
I will start with two comparisons:
Caleb Banks, Florida and Darrell Jackson, FSU: Both have top-tier size and have the physical play strength to overpower blockers. Banks might have more upside right now as a pass rusher based on his quickness and explosiveness but Jackson is a solid run defender right now and hold a more consistent anchor….and could become a solid interior pass rushing presence if he can work on his technique and pass rush plan.
Caleb Downs, Ohio State and Bud Clark, TCU: Despite being the consensus top rated safety prospect by most draft pundits, Downs doesn’t have top-tier size and athletic traits but does have a top-tier understanding of the game and instincts that allows him to consistently be in the right place at the right time. He seems to have been used closer to the line of scrimmage but figures to be versatile enough to handle multiple roles and assignments at the next level. Clark is similar in that he is on the lighter side but that doesn’t seem to impact his ability to make an impact as a run defender and like Downs, he has very good instincts along with an innate ability to be a playmaker in pass coverage.
Which is why Arrowhead Pride user NicFre2025’s post on The Feed piqued my interest.
Here are three top-of-the-class guys, with their mid-round equivalents.
Note: Any similar matches to those made in the comments on the original post in The Feed were unintentional.
Edge – Cashius Howell (Texas A&M) and Nadame Tucker (Western Michigan)
Both players are third-down pass rush specialists who rely on burst around the edge to get to the quarterback. You don’t want either of these guys in the game on early downs right now, as they are both unreliable at setting the edge and stopping the run. This is partially due to the fact that neither of these guys are overwhelming in size.
Both measuring at roughly 6 feet 2 inches tall and 250 pounds, Cashius Howell will probably go in the first round, and Nadame Tucker will be relegated to being a late-Day 3 selection.
This is mostly because, despite looking explosive on film, Tucker ran poorly at the combine. Howell also faced stiffer competition at Texas A&M than Tucker did at Western Michigan. Still, Tucker was extremely productive at getting to the quarterback in 2025, tying Texas Tech’s David Bailey for the most sacks in the nation wth 14.5.
Cornerback- Brandon Cisse (South Carolina) and Andre Fuller (Toledo)
Both of these guys are dawgs when it comes to the effort they put on the field. And while Cisse may have the upper hand as far as raw athleticism goes, Fuller is not a slouch in that department.
Both guys are aggressive in press-man coverage to the point that it can get them in trouble sometimes, and they have to scramble to make up lost ground if they make a mistake when pattern matching. Both of these guys are solid run defenders who aren’t afraid to wrap a guy up and tackle.
Like the comparison above, Cisse faced stiffer competition in the SEC, but Toledo has shown in recent years that it can develop NFL-caliber defensive backs, as evidenced by the Philadelphia Eagles standout cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, and Fuller’s teammate in this draft class, safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
Tight End – Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt) and Michael Trigg (Baylor)
This comp might be my favorite of the lot.
Both guys are long and athletic, power-slot style tight ends who can line up from multiple spots along the line, and are excellent route runners for their size with a large catch radius.
While Stowers is considered by many insiders to be the better prospect, it’s Trigg who is the longer player and betting in-line blocker, and who might end up being the better tight end at the NFL level. The biggest thing holding Trigg back at the moment is mental errors. He can struggle with concentration drops at times, and while his worst reps are pretty brutal, he makes up for them with highlight-level plays.
If Trigg can clean up the mental aspect of his game, he can be a serious asset in the receiving game.
What about you?
Who are your favorite mid-round mimics in this draft?
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