Patrick Mahomes shares his secrets to standing on the podium

During a recent appearance on the ‘Riggles Picks Podcast’ hosted by comedian Rob Riggle, Mahomes explained his handling of media press conference questions.

“It’s part of the profession. It’s part of being a quarterback and having to stay on that podium and talk win or loss. And yeah, I think what I’ve done and mastered is being able to say a lot of words without saying anything at all.” said Mahomes.

“That’s my go-to whenever I get a question I might necessarily like; I’ll just say a lot of different words, but it really means nothing.”

We could say the Chiefs should keep their eye on a top-three receiver in the 2025 class, but they are much more likely to pick near the end of the draft as they chase a three-peat.

Later in Rounds 1 or 2, Colorado State wide receiver Tory Horton may be on the board. At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Horton can line up as an X or Z outside receiver. He has a slender build but good nuance to his routes and some of the strongest hands in the class. His skill set would pair well with the Chiefs’ existing speed.

Even with a roster featuring quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, Jones is a core reason why the Chiefs are in the midst of a dynasty. At 29, Jones is in the prime of his career and one of the league’s best pass rushers, who can pressure the opposing quarterback from the interior or the edge.

In the past two seasons, Jones was double-teamed on 70 percent of his pass rushes as an interior defender, the highest rate in the league, according to Next Gen Stats.

He still ranked second in the league in pass rush win rate, trailing only Aaron Donald.

This offseason for Jones has been smooth compared to last year when he held out of everything — the offseason program, training camp, and even Week 1 — before rejoining the team on a revised one-year deal. His production should improve from last season — 10 1/2 sacks, 29 quarterback hits and four pass breakups — to ensure the Chiefs’ defense remains a strength

Patrick Paul
Original Pick: WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
New Pick: OT Patrick Paul, Houston
While the Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver corps was lackluster last year and the front office likely saw some similarities between Tyreek Hill and Worthy during the pre-draft process, the Texas product hasn’t gotten off to a good start in Kansas City.

According to ESPN’s Adam Teichner, Worthy didn’t practice much during OTAs and minicamp and was inconsistent when on the field. Meanwhile, the Chiefs also have question marks at left tackle. So, in this re-draft scenario, they pivot toward addressing the latter need.

Thus far in Miami, Paul has impressed his veteran mentor, Terron Armstead, as well as his position coach Butch Barry.

“I’ve had a short time with Patrick so far. I’ve seen some great things on the field, impressive for sure,” Armstead said via Pro Football Network’s Adam Beasley. “Got a lot to learn, a lot of areas to improve in, but you see it — for sure, you see the potential. You see why he’s here. Smart young man.”

“I think we’ve done a great job of mastering the intermediate and short stuff, but we want to get back to having that part of the offense as well,” Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes said in May. “Coach Reid is really pushing us to push it down the field. It’s hard to do against our defense, but we’re trying to make it happen.”

That should come as a welcome reversal for Mahomes, who has dialed back the deep shots since his 2018 MVP debut, with defenses loading up to deny him such looks.

A lackluster receiving corps was partially responsible for Mahomes having the lowest average intended air yards of his career in 2023 (6.6). Marquise Brown and rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy immediately change the complexion of that group with their speed, though each will need to prove trustworthy enough to Mahomes to be targeted frequently.

As much as I was a fan of Wanya Morris coming into the 2023 NFL Draft, it is a lofty expectation to think the former Oklahoma right tackle will step in at left tackle seamlessly. Kingsley Suamataia was added for competition.

Cornerback is a primary need after moving L’Jarius Sneed this offseason. It will be interesting to learn whether they will play Trent McDuffie, who is one of the game’s rising stars, on the boundary or keep him in the slot. Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Chamarri Conner and Nazeeh Johnson would be competing for those other two starting spots