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Chiefs Day 3 Mock Draft: Brett Veach follows through with youthful 2024 NFL draft trend

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Charles Goldman | Last updated 4/27/24

Mock draft season gets one last hurrah as we enter the final day of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs traded up with the Buffalo Bills to select WR Xavier Worthy on Day 1 and traded up with the San Francisco 49ers on Day 2 to select LT Kingsley Suamataia. Both players will be 21-year-old rookies in Kansas City this season.

What could Brett Veach have in store for the Chiefs on Day 3? In our Day 2 mock draft I projected a trade back. In this mock draft, I'm sticking with all five picks and adding more youth to the team.

Round 4, Pick No. 131 overall: Texas Tech DB Dadrion Taylor-Demerson

The Chiefs get a 22-year-old defender to kick things off on Day 3. Listed at 5-foot-10 and 197 pounds, Taylor-Demerson is a heat-seeking missile in the defensive secondary. He had a highly productive 2023 campaign with 73 tackles, four interceptions, and eight passes defended for the Red Raiders. He has true positional versatility and could play a hybridized safety-nickel corner role in Kansas City that isn't too dissimilar to what Tyrann Mathieu played in Steve Spagnuolo's defense.

Round 4, Pick No. 133 overall: Boston College RG Christian Mahogany

Another offensive lineman, who took a pre-draft visit with Kansas City. Mahogany has 34 career starts at guard, with 11 starts on the left side and 23 starts on the right side. The 21-year-old stacks pancake blocks like it's his job and didn’t allow a single sack or hit on his quarterback in 394 pass-blocking snaps in 2023. He's a tone-setter who can fill a few roles as a backup on the interior offensive line before taking over as a starter in the future.

A few plays of RG (#73) Christian Mahogany having a bit of fun pic.twitter.com/x1dLl16rqb
— Tyler Schoon (@tylerjschoon) April 23, 2024

Round 5, Pick No. 159 overall: Michigan TE AJ Barner

Listed at 6-foot-6 and 251 pounds, Barner was primarily used as a blocking tight end in Michigan's run-heavy offense. He'd have an immediate fit in Kansas City as part of 12-personnel and 13-personnel looks opposite Travis Kelce and Noah Gray. He also has some value on special teams. The big question is whether the 21-year-old can become a reliable pass-catcher in the Chiefs' system as he never had a season with more than 28 receptions, 249 yards, and 3 touchdowns.

Round 6, Pick No. 211 overall: Southern Miss RB Frank Gore Jr.

The 22-year-old son of former San Francisco 49ers legend Frank Gore. Junior had 231 carries for 1,131 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns at Southern Miss in 2023, along with 27 receptions for 221 yards and three touchdowns. He's smaller at 5-foot-8 and 201 pounds, but he's sturdy, quick, and calculated with his running style. He has upside as a receiver out of the backfield and he's one of the better pass-protecting running backs in the draft. Oh, and he can also do this:

FRANK GORE JR

AND HE CAN PASS

pic.twitter.com/Wj7Bms9M1Y
— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 20, 2021

Round 7, Pick No. 248 overall: Virginia Tech DT Norrell Pollard

At this point in the draft, you're basically getting a jump start on your priority undrafted free agent board. I covered Pollard in a Hidden Gems article earlier this week:

KPRC2's Aaron Wilson recently reported that the Chiefs are among the teams to be showing "heavy interest" in Pollard. Pollard (6-foot, 283 pounds) reportedly ran a 4.8s 40-yard dash at the Virginia Tech Pro Day. He also posted a 33-inch vertical jump and a 113-inch broad jump. Among interior defensive linemen with at least 200 pass-rushing snaps in 2023, Pollard had the third-highest pass-rush win rate according to PFF. When he wins, he wins quickly.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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