Who could the Kansas City Chiefs select in the NFL Draft? Let’s check the visit list

As NFL Draft speculation draws to a close, let’s consider a final factor that could influence the Chiefs’ choices: the prospect visit.

NFL teams are allowed 30 in-house visits with prospects before the draft. This doesn’t mean they’re top-30 players on a team’s draft board. Often, these are players teams seek more information on before the draft begins on Thursday.

Here’s how general manager Brett Veach described a visit.

“They are here all day,” Veach said. “They will start in the training room, they will go through another comprehensive MRI and meeting with (medical staff). They get a chance to meet all of our coaches.”

Whew. Sounds like a full day. And prospects aren’t limited to one team. They can take multiple visits.

Also, there are other opportunities to meet with potential future Chiefs. The NFL Combine, pro days and all-star games can provide moments to chat. But those are brief compared to the facility visit.

The Combine visit, for instance, is about 15 minutes, Veach said: “You get a chance to get a brief intro, a little bit of an idea of their background. You get into some football, but it’s not very long.

“So I think having a whole day, getting to know that person, understanding the person more, talk through things, talk through football, their upbringing, is extremely important to us,” Veach said.

Last year, two of the Chiefs’ seven draft picks — wide receiver Rashee Rice and defensive end BJ Thompson — visited the facility.

In 2022, cornerbacks Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson came on pre-draft visits and were selected by the Chiefs. Also visiting that year was quarterback Chris Oladokun, who signed as a free agent.

The visit by Watson proved fruitful because it changed the Chiefs’ opinion on the Washington State product. He had had a shorter visit with Chiefs officials at the Combine.

“And we weren’t sure that this would be a great fit (for both sides), but we liked him and we wanted to bring him back in,” Veach said in 2023. “We brought him back into the facility and both my staff and the coaches kind of did a 180 on him.”

In 2021, the Chiefs also liked what they heard from Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton on a visit, and drafted him in the second round.

So, who have the Chiefs brought to the facility this year? This list was compiled by CBS Sports:

Khristian Boyd, defensive line, Northern Iowa; Ben Sinnott, tight end, Kansas State; Marshawn Kneeland, defensive end, Michigan; Michael Hall Jr., defensive tackle, Ohio State; Rasheen Ali, running back, Marshall; Travis Glover, offensive tackle, Georgia State; Kingsley Suamataia, offensive tackle, BYU; Millard Bradford, safety, TCU; Carson Steele, running back UCLA; Javon Baker, wide receiver, UCF; Caedan Wallace, offensive tackle, Penn State; Anthony Gould, wide receiver, Oregon State; Christian Mahogany, guard Boston College; Jake Johanning, offensive lineman, Furman; Jalen McMillan, wide receiver, Washington; Jowon Briggs, defensive tackle, Cincinnati; and wide receiver Qwan’tez Stiggers, who played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League last season.