Chiefs' Brett Veach, Andy Reid in perfect lockstep on team needs ahead of 2024 NFL draft

"I've learned this over the years, every fan of a team will look at a roster and say, well, we need a wideout, we need an O-Lineman, we need a linebacker and what have you," Veach said. "And that's certainly true with every team. And it's something that you do factor in. But you also realize that when you start Week 1, as we did against Detroit, you say in your mind as a GM that the starting lineup will look completely different by the time you get to the end of the season. And it's not a question of if you will lose players, but just when. And so I think that helps you stay disciplined to the approach and every position is a position of need. And that's how we look at it. And so that's why we always want to stick with the most talented player on the board." 

No matter how many needs your team is perceived to have, those needs can change in an instant throughout the remainder of the offseason. That's why he feels sticking to the best player available strategy is so important. It protects you from leaving a position group bare in the event of something unforeseen.

"If teams can look at the Chiefs and say, 'Well, they need a wideout, and they need a tackle.' Well, that's true. But we will eventually need a defensive lineman and a corner," Veach explained. "And if we have a defensive lineman or corner, that we have great at really high, I mean, we need to just stick to our board and take those players because time flies and before you know it, you're going to have needs at every position. So it is a little bit of a balance." 

Veach did add that later in the draft there is a bit more give-and-pull when it comes to bending the rules for positions of need. That's because player grades are likely a lot closer on Day 3 than they are on Day 1 and Day 2 of the draft. After all the team has 221 total players on their draft board, but only 16-18 of those players have received what NFL evaluators consider a first-round grade.

"A few years ago, I remember going into training camp, and having concerns about some O-Line stuff and some receiver stuff. And I remember talking to my staff saying, 'We're really good at defensive end.' That's one position we don't have to worry about. And then by Week 8, I think we lost four of them to injury. So, that's just an example of thinking you're good at a position and within a month or two having that position be completely depleted. So it's one of those things that I think as a GM you keep in the back of your mind that you're going to need all these players at some point.

"Injuries happen. So always stick to the board and stick with the most talented player. We spend a ton of time on this board and hundreds of names on the board and just kind of work and stack and tear them and we tweak that process all the way up into the draft and it's something that we'll continue to do today and the rest of the week until we get to Thursday."

Reid and Veach both know that they'd like to land an offensive tackle and a wide receiver at some point in the draft, but they also recognize that reaching for those players when others are graded more favorably won't set the team up for success. It's all about drafting good players, regardless of positional need. That way you stay prepared for any possibility that might lie ahead.