The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs chosen Oregon linebacker Jeff Bassa within the fifth spherical of the NFL Draft. A four-year starter for the Geese, Bassa was an All-Pac 12 performer because the weak-side linebacker.
The Chiefs have their three beginning linebackers slotted, however Bassa can have an opportunity to return in as a rookie and supply high quality depth whereas additionally contributing on particular groups.
Participant profile
Bassa entered Oregon as a security however rapidly turned a linebacker throughout his freshman season. He would play this place for the following 4 seasons and was extremely productive throughout his time in Eugene.
He completed his senior season with 54 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two pressured fumbles, whereas main his group to a Faculty Soccer Playoff look. After a strong season, Bassa declared for the NFL draft and took part on the NFL Scouting Mix in March.
At solely 6’1” and 232 lbs., Bassa is undersized by conventional requirements to play linebacker within the NFL, however with a strong 40-yard sprint time, he’s above common in his velocity testing.
Bassa’s strong 40-yard sprint time might be attributed to his background as a secondary participant and reveals the inspiration for his sport.
Bassas excelled as a protection backer, and the Chiefs will use this and different facets of his mobility to their benefit.
Discipline stretching
Bassa has good velocity, and his mobility gave him the vary to defend a number of areas of the sector whatever the down and distance.
The apparent space the place Bassa will be capable to assist contribute immediately is in go protection.
Bassa performed nicely towards tight ends in school and coated flats and publish routes. This comes as an apparent want for the Chiefs, who struggled towards tight ends through the 2024 season, giving up the third-most yards of any group within the league.
Bassa additionally performed nicely within the flats and confirmed off his sideline-to-sideline velocity almost each sport.
Good snap to indicate off how nicely Bassa can use his velocity to stretch the sector. He identifies the reverse nicely and rapidly hustles to the sideline to stop an enormous achieve. pic.twitter.com/EpZRVEK7sT
— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) Might 7, 2025
Having linebackers with velocity is required at any stage of soccer. With the groups on Oregon’s schedule, Bassa turned a key contributor towards reverse seems and different misdirection performs.
Jeff Bassa with a really aggressive snap. The go is incomplete, however he lays out the RB who was operating to the flat as a blocker. pic.twitter.com/ibu1m0We8j
— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) Might 6, 2025
Bassa is a high-IQ participant, and he acknowledges performs rapidly. On misdirection, this permits him to get into house rapidly and make stops. A strong tackler as nicely, Bassa does an ideal job of lining up his targets and making contact with good kind.
Having good velocity and a strong background of protection data ought to give Bassa an edge towards different linebackers popping out of the school ranks.
Run protection
Bassa has room to develop within the run sport. The inconsistencies in his play are possible on account of his lack of expertise taking part in within the field, the place he’s not a pure or instinctive participant. Regardless of this, he has proven flashes of being a proficient run defender and is prepared to get his palms soiled.
Bassa takes on the TE on the high of the display. He does a great job of standing his floor and angling the TE into the operating lane, then disengaging and making the cease. pic.twitter.com/asMUfR0Pru
— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) Might 7, 2025
As a great tackler, Bassa is aware of the basics of how and the place to assault ball carriers to get them to the bottom. The world the place he wants essentially the most work is shedding blockers, however he’s a prepared participant, and over time, he began to develop the basics wanted to work his approach off blockers and make performs across the line of scrimmage.
Enjoying the run won’t ever be Bassa’s energy within the NFL — and that’s OK, as a result of the Chiefs possible envision a task for him the place needing to play in run assist is minimal.
Position with the Chiefs
Bassa will possible be a four-phase special-teams participant candidate early in his profession. He has the velocity and tackling means to make an impression on the punt and kickoff group instantly, and he ought to be capable to parlay his means to line up gamers in house to put down blocks for the punt return and kickoff return groups.
This might be the one function Bassa performs on the Chiefs as a rookie except an harm happens and his numbers are referred to as in some unspecified time in the future to step in at linebacker.
Bassa is much too uncooked a participant, and the Chiefs produce other established choices within the linebacker room who might fill in forward of him if there have been an harm.
The Chiefs’ linebacker room will possible comprise Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Leo Chenal, Jack Cochrane — and a few mixture of Cam Jones, Cole Christensen, and Bassa to spherical out the unit.
As a fifth-round choose, Bassa should present that he’s adequate to contribute on particular groups and get on the sector if his quantity is named.
Bassa is not much like lots of the Chiefs’ linebackers on the roster, however that does not imply the group could not discover a function for him sooner or later. He won’t be a full-time NFL starter, however he has the potential to play within the Chiefs’ Nickel and Dime seems sooner or later on passing downs.
The Chiefs might convert him to extra of a safety-linebacker hybrid function — particularly for these passing down conditions the place they go to the nickel or dime seems — however that may possible be down the street.
Within the meantime, Bassa’s most direct path to seeing the sector will likely be as a special-teams contributor. It will likely be a no-thrills function, but when he excels, it might hold him within the NFL for the following decade.
