The Kansas City Chiefs have the 31st pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, and with it less than two weeks away, they still lack a clear direction for them to go in the draft. While most would assume their biggest need is the offensive line, several analysts and mock drafts predict them to lean toward the defense in the first round.

This is evident due to the fact that Derrick Harmon, a defensive lineman prospect, was named their most mocked player by Pro Football Focus, who looked at multiple mock drafts from many different sources.

Justin Simmons is too good of a prospect for them to pass up. As much as other people, when it comes to what they’ve done in free agency with their offensive line, they’re still lacking depth and reputable starters in a key group.

Ryan Wilson is a sports writer for CBS Sports, and he recently released a three-round mock draft where he predicts what NFL teams will do in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. For the Chiefs, he predicts their first-rounder will be used on Darius Alexander, a defensive tackle prospect from the University of Toledo.

“Alexander had great tape for Toledo last fall, then he balled out at the Senior Bowl against some of the best players in the country, and had a solid week at the combine. He’s a high-motor player who has both juice and power, consistently uses his hands well and is not only disruptive as a pass rusher but is hard to move against the run.

He’s improved his draft stock after the season, after the college all-star games, and now after the combine. Don’t expect that trend to change in the lead up to the draft”, said Wilson.

In 2024, Alexander had 40 total tackles, four passes defended, 3.5 sacks, and an interception he also ran in for a touchdown. He would be a dynamic player for Steve Spagnuolo to utilize on the defensive line and would also benefit from playing with established pass rushers like Chris Jones and George Karlaftis.