The Kansas City Chiefs have landed another exciting prospect on the offensive side of the ball in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

With pick No. 159 in the 2024 NFL draft, the Chiefs have selected Penn State C Hunter Nourzad. One of the biggest remaining needs for the 2024 NFL season was depth along the interior offensive line.

Kansas City had just nine offensive linemen under contract before this pick and only four of those players are interior offensive linemen.

Now, they’ve added an athlete at the center position, who could also play both left and right guard.

The Chiefs find the next Nick Allegretti in the fourth round

In the 2024 NFL free agency period, the Chiefs lost Nick Allegretti, who was a multi-position backup on the interior offensive line. The players in Kansas City viewed Allegretti as a sixth starter, and he wound up being huge for the team when Joe Thuney went down with a pec injury in the playoffs. Without Allegretti, who knows if they would have been able to reach and win Super Bowl LVIII?

Nourzad comes in and immediately brings the same level of versatility. He started at all five offensive line spots for Penn State and Cornell during his career, but at 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, he’s best suited for an interior offensive line spot in the league. At center in 2023, he didn’t allow a single sack and just 16 total pressures for the Nittany Lions. The season prior he played mostly left guard and allowed just eight total pressures, including two sacks. The athleticism, footwork, and hands are what really stand out here. He has all the traits to be a home-run pick on Day 3.