Brett Veach reveals how the NIL is pushing for an adaptation of the NFL draft
The Kansas City Chiefs they are looking to pick up the pieces after enduring a forgettable campaign that saw them miss out on the play-offs for the first time since 2014.
For more than a decade, the team sat comfortably atop the AFC, winning the conference title five times. The Chiefs, however, jumped to a 6-11 record last season, with Patrick Mahomes’ ACL injury.
If there’s a positive to their dismal finish, the Chiefs landed the No. 10 pick in the NFL Draft. Because of their dominance, they always picked at the end of the first round. Now they have a chance to dig up a talented prospect early.
Kansas City General Manager Brett Veachhowever, he admitted in a report by Arrowhead Pride’s Maurice Elston that their process of entering the NFL Draft was not easy, admitting that adverse effect from NIL.
“I believe we took over 25 guys off our board that we had top 75, top 100. So that really affected, I think, the draft, and then you get older, older prospects as you go,” Veach said.
“Usually the second and third rounds would be those guys that maybe they didn’t play a lot for, but they were young. So now, these guys just jump in and get paid by another school and pay and play.”
The NFL Draft offers Chiefs a chance to reset. Keeping a top-10 pick gives the team leverage it hasn’t had since the early Mahomes years. NIL, however, affected their usual approach, according to Veach.
Based on mock drafts, some of the names that could end up with the Chiefs at No. 10 include Notre Dame running back Jeremiiah LoveOhio State safety Caleb Downs, Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey and Miami linebacker Reuben Bain Jr.
2026-02-26 03:02:00
