The Kansas City Chiefs should be in full draft mode. This weekend, the organization has a chance to evaluate up-and-coming prospects at the East-West Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas.
Defensive tackle is a position that the Chiefs will likely be targeting in this draft class, and there were a few prospects in the group that could be intriguing for Kansas City.
On Thursday and Friday, the Arrowhead Pride team evaluated and spoke to these NFL hopefuls. Here are three I had the pleasure of talking with for
a few minutes:
1. Aaron Hall, Duke
At the Shrine Bowl weigh-ins, the Duke defensive lineman measured a shade under 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 296 pounds with 33.48-inch arms.
Hall lined up all over the field during the practice session, going from his usual spot as a 3-technique to an inside shade over the center, and as far out as a 5-technique.
I had a chance to catch up with Hall after practice, and he had an interesting perspective on his positional versatility.
Hall elaborated on why he was so comfortable making the transition on short notice.
“I’m willing to do what it takes to win, and I think in College I have shown my versatility,” Hall said. “I went through three head coaches, four different defensive coordinators, and with each group, it was a new scheme and new terminology.”
Hall clarified that he started at Duke as a defensive end, but quickly moved inside to defensive tackle.
When asking him what his favorite pass rush move was, Hall wasted little time with his response.
“For me, it is some form of power conversion,” Hall told me. “That is one of the strengths that I do best, I wasn’t blessed with the 4.4 speed, but I feel most confident in my ability to rush with my power.”
He pointed to an All-Pro defensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts when asked which NFL player he wants to base his game after.
“DeForest Buckner is a guy who can really convert off those power moves with stab lifts, and stab rips,” Hall explained. “Especially with his length inside.”
Hall has a nice blend of length, short-area quickness, and power, which will give him a chance to compete for an NFL roster spot in 2026.
2. Darrell Jackson Jr, Florida State
It is always interesting to see which players match their listed height and weight, and which have been propped up. Florida State has Jackson listed at 6 feet 5 inches tall and 337 pounds, and that was nearly his exact weigh-in figures at the Shrine Bowl: he weighed 328 pounds at the same height.
With 35-inch arms, the behemoth defensive tackle was one of the largest players at the Shrine Bowl, and could be one of the most highly-touted. There is the potential that Jackson could go inside the top 100 picks in the NFL Draft.
This week, he managed to show what he can do with his size and power.
Jackson used his power and extension well in practice, and when I had a chance to talk to him, he revealed a little more about his game.
“ I like playing the shade, I like playing the one, I like playing the 2i, I like playing the three, I like playing the four, the 4i, and the five,” he confidently responded when I asked him, given his physical gifts, which position he would prefer to line up at.
Jacksons lined up primarily as an inside defender at Florida State, and this is where he will find himself once he is in the NFL.
“I feel comfortable in any scheme 4-3 or 3-4,” Jackson declared. “We played the 3-4 ar Maryland.”
The transfer portal has given a lot of players exposure to multiple schemes as well as different roles. This interchangeability, paired with the ability to be coachable, should be valued by NFL teams.
Given the influx of mobile quarterbacks in the NFL, I asked Jackson about containing these players, and he gave an insightful response.
“When you are playing a mobile quarterback, you probably have a spy, and you have to communicate with him when you are taking the inside, or when you are going to rush the outside shoulder,” Jackson explained. “At the end of the day, it comes down to communication. ”
This understanding of the bigger picture of a defensive scheme and game plan highlights good football IQ, as well as an unselfish player who will help his team win.
3. Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana
One of the best things about the Shrine Bowl is that it gives small-school prospects a chance to compete against higher-end competiton.
Proctor entered the Shrine Bowl as a relatively unknown player, but with solid play, he has been creating buzz.
Measuring in at 6 feet 1 inch tall and 275 pounds, Proctor is undersized for an interior lineman, but an outstanding blend of explosion and quickness off the snap helped him to disrupt several snaps in practice.
Proctor recorded an impressive 16 career sacks, with nine coming during his final season for Southeastern Louisiana.
When I had a chance to sit down with him, he helped shed some light on his mindset as a small-school prospect.
“It’s not about proving it to anyone but myself,” Proctor said. “Because that is what is going to carry me through this process and get me to where I want to go.”
“The goal is I want to play the 3-technique position, I want to gain my weight, and keep playing that position, but I will rush from anywhere,” he responded when I asked about which position he prefers to play in the NFL.
When I asked what his favorite pass rush move was, he quickly responded, “double swipe”, saying it required a lot of quickness to pull off.
A day later, he used it on his first snap of one-on-one drills and displayed why there will be more buzz about him as the evaluation process continues.
