Hunter Nourzad

Chiefs selected Penn State C Hunter Nourzad with the No. 159 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Nourzad (6’3/317) spent his first four years of college at Cornell earning an engineering degree and anchoring an offensive line that ranked fifth nationally by allowing just 0.9 sacks per game in 2021. He transferred to Penn State in 2022 starting the final eight games at guard allowing two sacks with a 2.3% blown pass block rate in 574 snaps with a middling 55th% PFF overall grade. He kicked over to C last year and excelled there, logging 785 snaps with zero sacks allowed and two penalties while boosting his overall grade into the 75th percentile. The Second Team All-Big Ten center was unable to test in the offseason due to an ankle injury, but his advanced lateral agility and movement skills out in space are confirmed on tape. Nourzad has a dense, massive frame but still retains a great deal of cat-like quickness and explosion off the snap. An older prospect, Nourzad’s inconsistent timing and tendency to bend into contact can put him in perilous situations. However he’s savvy enough to recover and profiles as a dependable swing-lineman with upside to start early in his career.