Chiefs Among Top of NFL in This Category Entering Draft

The Chiefs are already a homegrown-heavy team. And over the next week, they’ll become even more of a draft-and-develop franchise. That’s the most interesting item in Pro Football Network’s review of NFL roster architecture concerning Kansas City entering this week’s NFL draft.

Among NFL teams, the Chiefs entered the week with the ninth-largest fraction of homegrown players, 57.5 percent, meaning players still on their original NFL rosters. They have eight more swings at that plate this weekend, including four of the first 95 selections -- which Mel Kiper sees as heavy in the trenches -- through Round 3.

Homegrown players include non-drafted college free agents. In recent years, the Chiefs have used that pipeline to add guard Mike Caliendo, running back Carson Steele, wide receivers Justyn Ross and Nikko Remigio, and linebacker Jack Cochrane. They’ll be aggressive again in that category beginning with the seventh round on Saturday, reaching out to players still on their 202-player draft board in the event they go unselected.

According to PFN, the league leaders in homegrown players entering the draft are the Ravens (74.1 percent), Buccaneers (69.4), Rams (66.7), Bills (62.7), Jaguars (62.7), Cowboys (60.8), Packers (57.8) and Saints (57.8). Carolina (35.3 percent) is last.

Homegrown players isn’t an indicator of significant success, meaning draft-and-develop isn’t the only method to engineer a Super Bowl victory.

“Each of the last three champs has been fairly balanced between homegrown players and external acquisitions,” wrote PFN’s Sterling Xie, “but there are also extremes on both ends. The 2021 Rams ranked fourth in percentage of homegrown talent on the roster, while the 2017 Eagles and 2019 Chiefs were both in the bottom 10.”

Brace yourselves because some are beginning to put the word “aging” in the same sentence as Patrick Mahomes, since the quarterback turns 30 in September. Kansas City’s other most prominent players are Travis Kelce (36 in October) and Chris Jones (31 in July). And speaking of Eras Tours, even Taylor Swift has been a Chiefs fan for almost two years.

Data entering the draft shows the Chiefs (26.0 average age) have the NFL’s ninth-oldest roster, not much younger than the oldest team (Washington at 27.4 percent). Kansas City will drop that percentage this weekend as well.

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