Garrett Nussmeier joining Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs after NFL Draft slide

Apr 26, 2026 - 00:45

Garrett Nussmeier entered the NFL Draft following a sluggish 2025 at LSU. He once garnered top overall pick hype not long ago. Now he’ll join Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, as a seventh rounder.

KC ended Nussmeier’s stunning draft slide with the 249th overall pick. He became eight spots away from earning “Mr. Irrelevant” and falling to the final pick of the draft.

At pick No. 249, the Chiefs selected LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier. pic.twitter.com/03xygXVaEJ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 25, 2026

Nussmeier additionally becomes the last QB of the draft taken. Even Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis landed higher than Nussmeier at 223rd overall. And Nussmeier once earned a mid-round comparison to Ty Simpson.

So why the sudden drop off after hearing top pick and first round chatter nearly a year ago?

Nussmeier again endured a rigid final season at Baton Rouge. Including Brian Kelly getting fired as head coach. The right-handed thrower watched a massive numbers drop too. He went from tossing 29 touchdowns in 2024 to 12 the following year. Nussmeier never scaled the 2,000-yard mark either (1,927 yards in ’25).

The Tigers star later revealed a nagging injury hindered his QB development.

Lance Zierlein of the NFL Network saw noticeable flaws in Nussmeier’s game during his pre-draft evaluation.

“Undersized pocket passer with legitimate arm talent that has not been able to make up for some flaws in his game. Nussmeier is inconsistent diagnosing coverages and working through progressions, which limits his ability to counter what defenses show him,” Zierlein wrote first.

Zierlein believed Nussmeier was third round material. But most mocks didn’t envision him landing in day one or two.

Now he joins the three-time Super Bowl winner Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid. Nussmeier also joins Justin Fields and Jake Haener as the new QBs in the KC room.

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