Chiefs trade up in Round 5, select LB Jeffrey Bassa
Chiefs have had their eye on Bassa for a few years
Kansas City made a trade to move up in Round 5 and then went back to the defensive side of the football.
The Chiefs selected Oregon linebacker Jeffrey Bassa (156th overall), a move that bolsters depth at the position group.
To secure the rights to Bassa, the Chiefs shipped their 164th overall pick and a seventh-round pick (226th overall) to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A large part of the team’s thinking to make the trade surrounded the Chiefs’ astonishment that Bassa was still on the draft board.
“Honestly, we were a little surprised to see this guy available in the fifth round,” Chiefs national scout Jonathan Howard said. “This kid is an awesome kid. He’s a very good football player.”
Bassa expressed happiness that the Chiefs traded up to get him, but he admitted he was also surprised to be on the board.
“The draft is, a lot of crazy things happen,” Bassa said in a Zoom teleconference. “It really tests your patience and patience is one of the main things I live by. Faith, ambition and patience are the three things I live by every day.
“I’m sitting there with my family, right, and there’s a lot of linebackers going off the board and teams have their needs. I’m for sure going to remember every linebacker that came off the board before me and use it as fuel and motivation, for sure, because that’s the dog that I am, the person I am.”
Bassa’s steadfast determination could only be matched by his productive college career.
He finished his time at Oregon totaling 236 tackles (125 solo), 4.5 sacks, three interceptions, four passes defensed and two forced fumbles in 55 games. He was named a second-team All-Pac 12 selection in 2023 and garnered an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection in 2024.
Bassa’s performances caught the Chiefs’ attention years ago.
"This is a guy we've had our eye on a little bit during the process,” Howard said. “We've been covering him multiple years. He was a very good player in prior years, a player we've been covering as an underclassman in case he would've declared."
The Chiefs’ newest linebacker joins a position group consisting of Nick Bolton, Leo Chenal, Drue Tranquill, Jack Cochrane, Cole Christiansen, Cam Jones and Shaun Bradley.
While he mostly played middle linebacker at Oregon, Bassa has versatility to play outside.
Ultimately, Bassa said he will enter his first season looking to grow and learn from the veterans.
He also embraces whatever role the Chiefs give him.
“Whatever position that they see me at, that’s the position I’m going to master,” Bassa said.
CHIEFS PREVIOUS PICKS
Round 1 (32nd overall): Ohio State LT Josh Simmons
Round 2 (63rd overall): Tennessee DT Omarr Norman-Lott
Round 3 (66th overall): Louisville DE Ashton Gillotte
Round 3 (85th overall): California CB Nohl Williams
Round 4 (133rd overall): Utah State WR Jalen Royals