The Kansas City Chiefs spent three draft picks on offensive linemen last year. They must continue investing in the offensive line in the 2025 NFL draft to eliminate the depth issues they ran into this season. The Chiefs need to find a developmental tackle they trust and a quality backup guard.
Cornelius played right tackle for the Ducks but projects best as a guard at the NFL level. His range in pass protection makes him vulnerable against explosive rushers. Kicking inside to guard mitigates this concern and makes the most of his power.
Cornelius channels impressive power through his upper body to overwhelm pass rushers. The pop in his punches re-route defenders or causes their rush plans to stall. Cornelius uses his grip strength to latch and arrest defenders. This makes him effective at framing blocks and taking control of plays.
Cornelius plays with a high pad level and suffers from some waist bending in pass protection, but that doesn’t disrupt his anchor. He absorbs power rushes and rarely lets defenders win through his frame. Once he anchors, Cornelius uses his core strength to torque defenders and force them around the pocket.
Cornelius generates some splash plays in the run game. He works to the second level and looks for opportunities to pancake defenders. Cornelius latches and drives through contact to put defenders on skates before running them into the ground.
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Cornelius lacks high-end foot speed. This makes him slower than ideal in space and limits his ability to redirect in pass protection quickly. There’s room for his hand placement and counters to improve.
It’s fair to expect future growth for Cornelius. He’s a fifth-year college veteran but only spent two seasons at Oregon after starting his career at Rhode Island. Cornelius projects as a fourth-round selection.
