Part of the reason the Kansas City Chiefs have been so successful in recent years is their ability to hit on a solid number of draft picks, relying on free agency only to selectively supplement a roster built mainly through the draft.
But even a team like the Chiefs has its misses from time to time. So, we could take a moment to look back at last season’s draft class and see how these players are faring one year into their careers.
For this post, we’ll focus on the Chiefs’ top four selections from the 2024 draft: wide receiver Xavier Worthy, offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia, tight end Jared Wiley and safety Jaden Hicks.
Let’s dive in.
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WR – Xavier Worthy – RD 1 – Pick 28
I know it’s odd to say that a first-round draft pick exceeded expectations. But after taking the requisite chunk of time that all rookie receivers need to learn head coach Andy Reid’s offense, Worthy emerged late in the season as more than just a deep threat with straight-line speed.
He showed a legitimate ability to run a complete route tree and create separation at all levels of the field. Looking ahead to Year 2, it’s easy to imagine a scenario where he earns a larger target share than a veteran like Hollywood Brown and develops into a true difference-maker on the offensive side of the ball.
Updated draft grade: A
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OL – Kingsley Suamataia – RD 2 – Pick 63
Taken at the end of the second round, we instantly hailed this pick as a steal. We identified Suamataia as a player with enough upside to potentially become one of the best value picks in the draft.
However, the caveat with Suamataia was always that he’d need time before he was ready to play in the NFL, to the extent that I advocated for him to take a full redshirt season to develop and acclimate.
The Chiefs’ personnel disagreed, rushing Suamataia into the starting lineup well before he was ready. The results were catastrophic. In Week 3, Suamataia was repeatedly beaten by Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to the point that he was pulled from the game.
He didn’t look much better the rest of the year. Things could change, but right now, this looks like one of general manager Brett Veach’s worst draft picks.
Even if Suamataia eventually becomes a serviceable left guard, that’s not why you draft a guy like him. You drafted him to be a tackle, and he hasn’t come close to delivering on that potential.
Updated draft grade: F
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TE – Jared Wiley – RD 4 – Pick 131
This one is tough. Wiley was third on the tight end depth chart behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray — and then he suffered a torn ACL in November. It’s hard to project a guy when we haven’t really seen him play that much.
That said, there’s an argument to be made that — injury aside — he was one of the better-moving tight ends in this class and has the size to be a legitimate mismatch for defenders.
Still, we don’t know what we don’t know. Until we have more information, this grade will remain incomplete.
Updated draft grade: C+
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S – Jaden Hicks – RD 4 – Pick 133
Hicks was a fan favorite last offseason due to his downhill, aggressive playstyle, which saw him act decisively and fly to the ball with confidence.
There are still areas Hicks needs to improve to maintain his development on an upward trajectory.
He figures to be a big part of what the Chiefs do on defense in 2025, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he were the starter in Week 1.
One encouraging indicator is that when the Chiefs had an opportunity to pursue another veteran to bolster the safety room, they largely declined to make a big splash in free agency.
To me, this suggests the Chiefs have at least some faith in their second-year man to step up.
Updated Draft Grade: B+