The most dramatic movement on the Kansas City Chiefs‘ draft board this year did not stem from a blockbuster trade. Instead, it was driven by college athletes opting to remain in school.
With the NCAA’s NIL framework allowing players to profit from their name, image and likeness, a new financial reality has reshaped the decision-making process for draft-eligible prospects.
Athletes who once faced a straightforward choice between returning to campus or declaring for the NFL now have a meaningful economic incentive to stay. For franchises such as the Chiefs, that shift has had immediate consequences.
General manager Brett Veach acknowledged just how significant the change has been when early-entry decisions became official.
“When the official decision date for the underclassmen came, I believe we moved over 25 guys off our board that we had Top 75, Top 100,” Veach said according to NBC Sports.
“So it’s really impacts, I think, the draft, and then you’re getting older, older prospects as you go on. I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon and I think that’s something we have to adapt to.”
Eliminating more than two dozen prospects from a Top 100 evaluation materially alters the structure of a draft class. In previous years, early-declaring underclassmen infused the top rounds with youthful upside. Now, teams are increasingly evaluating seasoned seniors who have accumulated more starts and physical development before entering the professional ranks.
The age recalibration is noticeable even within Kansas City’s own locker room.
“You see their birth dates and then you look at the roster and a lot of our guys are as young as these guys,” Veach added.
That observation highlights an unusual dynamic: incoming rookies are no longer markedly younger than established NFL contributors. The traditional developmental arc – draft at 21, refine at 22 or 23 – is shifting toward older first-year players who may be closer to their physical peak.
Developmental prospects are disappearing
The downstream impact may be felt most acutely beyond the first round. Historically, the second and third rounds offered fertile ground for organizations seeking high-ceiling prospects who declared early despite limited collegiate résumés. Those players were often selected based on projection rather than polish.
According to Veach, that category is shrinking.
“Typically, the second and third round would be those guys that maybe they didn’t play a lot, but they were young,” he noted.
“Well, now these guys are just bouncing and getting paid by another school and getting paid and playing. So Round 2, 3, 4, the younger developmental guys who haven’t scratched the surface yet, you’re getting more finished product so that’s challenging, but that’s what we have to adapt to and how we position our board.”
Rather than testing the draft process prematurely, many underclassmen are utilizing the transfer portal to secure expanded roles and additional NIL compensation. By changing programs, they gain visibility, playing time and financial security – often enhancing their draft stock in the process.
For front offices, this evolution demands recalibration. Scouting departments must weigh maturity and readiness against long-term upside differently than they did even five years ago. While experienced prospects can contribute more quickly, the reduced pool of raw developmental talent alters roster-building strategy.
The NIL era has not diminished the NFL Draft’s importance, but it has undeniably reshaped its composition. Teams like the Chiefs are learning that adaptation, rather than resistance, is the only viable path forward.
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