The Draft is about to begin. What it means for Kansas City and the Chiefs

Four years after the NFL announced it would bring its annual draft to Kansas City, the first evening of the three-day event has arrived.

At around 7 p.m. Thursday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will step to the podium on the stage in front of Union Station. Before tens of thousands of fans at the National WWI Museum and Memorial — and millions more watching via multiple TV channels (ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and the NFL Network) — he’ll say ...

“With the No. 1 overall selection, the Carolina Panthers are now on the clock ...”

That is, unless there’s a trade and another team moves into position to make the top selection.

The 32 NFL teams (and of course the players who will be selected this week) have helped mushroom the annual draft from a business meeting at a New York City hotel to an over-the-top three-day extravaganza that generates millions in revenue for the host city.

With attendance estimated to reach 300,000 fans over the next three days, turnout at the NFL Draft should rival attendance figures from recent championship parades held by the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. That would make it the city’s largest-ever spectator event.

Some 259 players will be selected. The first round gets its own day; the second and third rounds are Friday, with the draft beginning at 6 p.m. The final day, for Rounds 4-7, begins Saturday at 11 a.m.

“My draft day? I didn’t have one,” said former Chiefs outside linebacker Bobby Bell, the Pro Football Hall of Famer when asked about his draft day experience after the 1962 season.

A trade for the No. 1 pick seems unlikely. The Panthers are expected to make Alabama quarterback Bryce Young the first overall pick for 2023.

“It would be an honor to be picked first,” said Young, who along with several other draft prospects spent part of the day at a football clinic at KC’s Central High. “But wherever I get picked, what number, what team, it’s never really something I put too much stock in.”

After Young, the draft could be a path of twists and turns. Joining Young as top quarterback prospects are Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Florida’s Anthony RIchardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis. They could be the top four players selected ... or they could be spread out among the first dozen or so picks.

“I just wanted to get there (to the NFL) one way or another,” Levis said. “It didn’t matter if it was first round or as an undrafted free agent. But this is surreal, and for this to come true is incredible to think about.”

Other prospects expected to be selected early are edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. of Alabama and Tyree Wilson of Texas Tech, defensive tackle Jalen Carter of Georgia and Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon.

But who knows? Teams often don’t show their hand entering the draft, and trades can be a big part of the process. Remember, the Chiefs traded up 17 spots in the first round to draft quarterback Patrick Mahomes in 2017.

After Carolina, the draft order for tonight’s top 10 picks goes like this: Houston, Arizona, Indianapolis, Seattle, Detroit, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia. The Bears owned the No. 1 pick based on record but traded it to the Panthers.

One team is not scheduled to make a first-round selection. Miami forfeited its first-round pick after the league found that the Dolphins had twice had “impermissible communications” with quarterback Tom Brady in 2021 — they were reportedly interested in signing him and perhaps making him part of their ownership group.

So, as Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs are slated to make the final first-round pick tonight at No. 31. But fair warning: Because of trades, the Chiefs have not had a first-round selection in three of Brett Veach’s five seasons as general manager. Another trade this evening? It’s possible.

The Chiefs are hoping this year’s draft proves as fruitful as last year’s. Three of their 10 selections last spring started in the Super Bowl this February, including both of their first-round picks — cornerback Trent McDuffie and defensive end George Karlaftis. In all, nine players the Chiefs drafted in 2022 appeared in Kansas City’s championship victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Chiefs will conduct the business of the draft from their team headquarters at the Truman Sports Complex east of downtown, but their fans will no doubt have a dominant presence at Union Station.

“I know the entire organization is looking forward to seeing the show that Kansas City puts on,” Veach said.