A day before NFL teams had to set their initial 53-man rosters, the Kansas City Chiefs added another piece to the offensive line.
The Chiefs acquired offensive tackle Diego Pounds from the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday in exchange for a conditional 2028 sixth-round pick, multiple reports confirmed. The deal is Kansas City’s second trade for an offensive lineman in four days, following the acquisition of guard Josh Ezeudu from the New York Giants.
Pounds, a 6-foot-6, 325-pound rookie, signed with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 draft. The Ravens elected to move him rather than risk losing him on waivers, turning a player who may not have made their final roster into future draft capital. Kansas City, meanwhile, secured a young tackle with starting experience and three years of team control before he becomes a restricted free agent in 2029.
Pounds began his career at North Carolina, appearing in 13 games with eight starts before transferring to Ole Miss for the 2024 season. Over two years with the Rebels he started 24 games at left tackle, including all 15 games in 2025. That senior season earned him third-team All-SEC honors. He did not allow a sack and was flagged only twice. Across his college career he played 46 games with 32 starts, almost exclusively at left tackle.
Some evaluators had him as a mid-round prospect. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked him as the No. 12 tackle in the class with a fourth-round grade. He still went undrafted, then quickly made an impression in Baltimore. Through the Ravens’ first two preseason games, Pro Football Focus graded him 90.9 overall — among the highest marks for any offensive lineman in that stretch. He allowed no sacks, hits or pressures on his pass-blocking snaps and posted a strong run-blocking grade.
Kansas City has been shopping for tackle depth. First-round pick Josh Simmons, expected to start at left tackle, has been limited by a back injury and missed the team’s last two preseason games. The club also moved on from Jawaan Taylor earlier. Jaylon Moore is listed as the other starting tackle, with Esa Pole and Kahlil Benson among the reserves. Pounds gives Andy Reid and the offensive staff another large, experienced body who can work as a swing tackle and compete for snaps.
The timing is typical of late-August roster construction. Teams that cannot keep a developmental player on the 53 often prefer a late-round pick to watching him walk on waivers. For Kansas City, a conditional sixth-rounder two years out is a modest price for a 23-year-old with size (33¾-inch arms), starting pedigree and clean preseason tape.
Pounds and Ezeudu are expected to help fill out the offensive line room once the initial 53 is posted. Whether Pounds makes the active roster immediately or begins on the practice squad, the Chiefs now have another option who can protect Patrick Mahomes’ edge if injuries or performance force a change.
The addition does not solve every question along the line, but it is a low-risk, high-upside depth move at a position that has been a concern heading into the regular season.
