The Kansas City Chiefs wanted a running back. But in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the team’s draft board said otherwise.
Jeffrey Bassa’s name was still sitting there for the taking as the draft continued on its third and final day—with rounds four through seven scheduled to take place—and when the Chiefs had the chance to make their move, Veach wasn’t going to let a prospect so highly valued slip away.
Bassa entered the draft as a decorated linebacker out of Oregon who had served as a leader and primary communicator within the defense—he wore the green dot. Per Chiefs exec Ryne Nutt, the Chiefs had him ranked too highly to pass up, even though it was about the time they wanted to also draft a certain running back.
The Chiefs trusted their board over need and landed a smart, versatile linebacker in Jeffrey Bassa.
Nutt was asked about drafting seventh-round pick Brashard Smith, a running back out of SMU, and he had the following story which only served to increase fans’ excitement around Bassa’s addition.
“What happened was in the fifth, there was a player, Jeff Bassa, who was there. He was clearly the best player on our board. So that would have been a time to take a running back, but when you have another player that is higher on the board, Brett [Veach] likes to go, ‘Listen, let’s let the board we’ve worked on this board for eight months. Let’s let this thing speak to us.’
“So we took the player we had slightly higher, Jeff Bassa, and then that allowed Brett to refocus and say, ‘Okay, I’m going to take a running back now. I know who I want.”
The Chiefs went on to trade up in the seventh round to get Smith, giving them both players they were eyeing in that general time in the draft.
After the draft, Nutt spoke to Chiefs reporters about what drew the front office to him, to explain what was behind such a high position on their prospect board.
“Outside of the athleticism, the kid was instinctive. I mean, he’s got a little Nick Bolton to him or he is in the right place at the right time. He’s super sharp. You watch him on tape, and for me, the first thing I noticed is the guy is directing traffic. He’s doing everything.
“I think coach [Brendan] Daly really liked that too, because we value smart inside backers. That is a premium.”
While Nutt referenced a “little Nick Bolton” when describing Bassa, the rookie linebacker actually profiles as a Drue Tranquill-esque defender. He’s a strong coverage linebacker who gives the Chiefs another dimension in that second level in terms of athleticism and pass coverage. Plus, Tranquill turns 30 and Bassa’s presence gives some insurance there as well.
Smart teams take a patient approach to the draft and trust their work even when the frenzy of the draft might cause other franchises to panic. By remaining calm and staying true to the foundation they laid, the Chiefs came away with the pieces they wanted and then some. Bassa is just the latest example of that philosophy at work.
