NFL Mock Draft: Chiefs Trade Up for Defensive Lineman

The Kansas City Chiefs trade up for Derrick Harmon in this mock draft, giving their defense a boost and being aggressive in the draft after losing the Super Bowl.

Oct 26, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Derrick Harmon (55) breaks past Illinois Fighting Illini offensive lineman Brandon Henderson (75) during the second half at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs have the 31st overall pick in the draft, and that may be frustrating for them, coming after an embarrassing loss in the Super Bowl to the Philadelphia Eagles. If they don't nail this draft pick, their dynasty may lose some steam.

If the Chiefs want to avoid this, they'd have to target their biggest weakness in the draft and use their late pick on an offensive lineman. It'd be the smart pick, but it's possible there aren't any other decent prospects to take when they're on the clock.

That leaves the Chiefs with an interesting decision: should they wait and see how the draft unfolds or demonstrate aggression and trade up for a prospect they think could help keep them in contention for more years?

In previous mock drafts, they've traded up for an offensive lineman, but this one is a bit different. Eric Edholm is a lead draft writer for the NFL and, in his second iteration of a mock draft, he predicts the Chiefs will be bold and trade up for Derrick Harmon, a defensive line prospect out of the University of Oregon.

"From 2016 through 2019, the Chiefs drafted six interior defensive linemen, five in the top 85 overall; since then, they've drafted one DT (Keondre Coburn, a sixth-rounder in 2023). Hence the desire to trade up ahead of some DL-needy teams for Harmon, who could be an eventual replacement for Chris Jones with his length and athletic twitch", said Edholm.

Harmon is actually the player most linked to the Chiefs ahead of the upcoming NFL draft, but in this mock, they don't wait for him to fall to them. The details of the trade aren't listed, but they swap positions with the Los Angeles Rams, presumably for extra draft capital.

I think the Chiefs should go into the draft with an aggressive mindset, but in this case, I don't think it's for the right player. While they do need a player who could replace Chris Jones in the future, a more pressing need for them is to fix their offensive line for next year and beyond.

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