Chiefs reached Super Bowl with high-priced stars, homegrown talent

It’s worth pointing out the blueprint the Chiefs have followed under coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach as they prepare for their fourth Super Bowl in five years.

The team’s roster is for the most part homegrown, including 12 players selected in the first or second round of the draft.

Kansas City is also just as effective in the later rounds. Fourteen of the Chiefs players were drafted in the third round or later. Another eight players made the club as undrafted free agents.

Veach and Reid have built a sustainable winner by hitting on so many draft picks. It’s allowed them to keep building around high-priced stars like quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive lineman Chris Jones.

The approach has also made the team a cohesive unit that knows how to play alongside one another.

That bond and shared experience allowed Kansas City to rebound from losing three of its first four games coming out of the bye week to make another Super Bowl run.

The Chiefs kept trusting their process and it delivered results. Chemistry like that doesn’t come from throwing a team together through free agency. Kansas City’s results show it pays to draft and develop.

Mahomes and Kelce are the Chiefs’ mainstays on offense, but other homegrown weapons are running back Isiah Pacheco and wide receivers Rashee Rice, Mecole Hardman and Justyn Ross.

This year Kansas City isn’t just reliant on Mahomes piling up points, either. The Chiefs defense surrendered the second-fewest points in the NFL this season. They’ve fielded a top-10 scoring defense in two of the last three seasons.

Once again, their success in the draft is the driving force behind that.

Cornerback Trent McDuffie and defensive lineman George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah were all selected in the first round. Jones was a second-round pick.

McDuffie headlines an exceptional cornerback group developed within the organization. Other members include L’Jarius Sneed, Jaylen Watson, Nic Jones, Joshua Williams and Ekow Boye-Doe.

Linebackers Willie Gay, Leo Chenal and Nick Bolton all arrived through the draft as well.

The Chiefs still have used free agency to shore up certain areas. They’ve added at safety and the offense line, though some of their weak spots up front are outsiders.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.