The NFL Draft used to be simple: scout young talent, project upside, develop the raw clay.
Not anymore.
In 2026, the Kansas City Chiefs are drafting into a completely different ecosystem — one where college stars are older, richer, and sometimes already “finished products.”
Chiefs Forced to Rethink Draft Strategy in NIL Era as Prospects Get Older — and Paid
The draft board in Kansas City doesn’t look the way it used to.
Not because the Chiefs suddenly forgot how to scout — but because college football has changed the rules of the game.
The transfer portal now functions like free agency. NIL money has turned campus locker rooms into business ventures. And thanks to COVID eligibility and multi-school transfers, many prospects are entering the draft older than ever.
Welcome to the NFL’s new reality.
“You see it when we go through these prospects,” Chiefs GM Brett Veach said at the Combine. “You look at their birthdates and then you look at your roster, and a lot of those guys are just as young as these guys.”
That’s not a minor detail. That’s a philosophical shift.
The Rise of the “Already Built” Prospect
Players like Miami edge rusher Akeem Mesidor — and others across the country — stayed in school longer, developed more physically, and in some cases earned significant NIL money along the way.
Meanwhile, some underclassmen who once would’ve declared for the draft are opting to stay in college because the money is competitive.
Veach revealed that when the underclassmen declaration deadline passed, the Chiefs removed more than 25 players from their draft board — players graded in the top 75 to top 100.
That’s seismic.
“It really impacts the draft,” Veach said. “You’re getting older prospects as you go on. That’s something we have to adapt to.”
Adapt — or fall behind.
The NIL Timing Paradox
There’s another layer to this story that’s hard to ignore.
Many current Chiefs players — especially those from the 2022 draft class like Jaylen Watson and Leo Chenal — entered the NFL just before NIL exploded.
Watson, a seventh-round pick, has earned less in his NFL career so far than some college quarterbacks have earned in NIL deals.
Let that sink in.
Born a year or two later, some of those players could’ve cashed in before even stepping into the league.
Now, they’re heading toward second contracts while the next wave of rookies may already have financial leverage and maturity built in.
Development vs. Readiness
Historically, the second, third and fourth rounds were where teams like Kansas City found developmental gems — young prospects with upside but limited experience.
That pool is shrinking.
“Typically, the second and third round would be those guys that maybe didn’t play a lot but they’re young,” Veach explained. “Now these guys are just bouncing, getting paid by another school and playing.”
In other words: fewer raw projects. More polished resumes.
That changes evaluation strategy.
Do you draft the older, more complete player with less long-term upside?
Or gamble on youth and projection in a market where fewer true “unfinished” prospects exist?
It’s a tighter needle to thread.
Aggression With Precision
Veach acknowledged that this new landscape directly affects how the Chiefs stack their board and decide when to strike.
“It goes into how you position your board, when to be aggressive and when not to be aggressive.”
Kansas City has thrived for years by drafting and developing under-the-radar talent. But now, the calculus includes age curves, contract timing, and physical ceilings that may already be closer to maxed out.
The Chiefs aren’t panicking.
They’re recalibrating.
A League-Wide Shift — But a Critical One for Kansas City
For a team that recently missed the playoffs and is trying to reload around Patrick Mahomes, getting this draft right matters more than ever.
The NIL era isn’t going away. The transfer portal isn’t slowing down. And the “wild, wild west” of college football may continue reshaping the NFL pipeline.
Kansas City’s challenge?
Stay ahead of it.
Because in this brave new world, drafting isn’t just about talent anymore.
It’s about timing.
And the teams that adapt fastest will win longest.
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