Kansas City Chiefs bolster offensive line with 5th round selection in 2024 NFL Draft

The Chiefs’ fifth-round draft pick Hunter Nourzad, a center from Penn State, takes versatility to the extreme.

Nourzad changed schools. He changed positions, twice. And to hear it from Chiefs scout Cassidy Kaminski, Nourzad could have changed career paths upon transferring from Cornell to Penn State.

“The engineering department was recruiting him almost as heavily as the football team,” Kaminski said.

Nourzad stuck with football and became a second-team All-Big Ten selection for the Nittnay Lions last season. He spent two years at Penn State playing center after starting his career at Cornell, where he lined up at tackle and guard.

Add it up, and Nourzad played three different offensive line positions in four years. His immediate duty will be to fill the role of Nick Allegretti, who backed up several positions along the offensive line during his five years in Kansas City and started at left guard in the AFC title game and Super Bowl in place of an injured Joe Thuney.

“I feel very happy and comfortable to play any position the coaching staff and organization feels will help the team as much as possible,” Nourzad said.

He’s the second offensive lineman selected by the Chiefs, who in the second round took Kingsley Suamataia, a tackle from BYU.