The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off their Top-30 visits for the 2025 NFL draft this week, hosting BYU OT Caleb Etienne at One Arrowhead Drive.
Etienne was a 2025 NFL Scouting Combine snub as an All Big-12 First-Team selection and Big-12 Offensive Lineman of the Year honorable mention in 2024. He was clearly a priority for Kansas City, with his visit coming as early as possible.
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Etienne began his career at Fort Scott Community College in 2019. He ended up at Oklahoma State, where he had some notable struggles. He then transferred to BYU from Oklahoma State, where he was able to really turn around his collegiate football-playing career.
The Draft Network’s Justin Melo first reported this visit last week when he interviewed Etienne in an exclusive interview.
The Kansas City Chiefs will host BYU OT Caleb Etienne (@BIG_CALEB76) on a 30 in-person visit.
Former JUCO product eventually joined BYU from Oklahoma State, playing his best ball for the Cougs en route to First-Team All-Big 12 honors.@TheDraftNetworkhttps://t.co/0jgIvx8ktl
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) March 2, 2025
What is a top-30 visit?
NFL teams are allowed 30 pre-draft visits with prospects at team facilities each year. These visits are part of the pre-draft fact-gathering process and are designed to accomplish different goals. Teams will bring in players with injury histories, character concerns, or those they haven’t had much time with.
The Chiefs typically use their top 30 visits in several ways, but it almost always indicates a certain level of interest in a prospect.
Often, they’ll bring in players who are expected to be priority undrafted free agents to convince them to sign with the team after the draft. That could be the case with a player like Etienne, who was a combine snub and isn’t expected to be selected in the top 120 picks of the draft. An example from last season, they hosted RB/FB Carson Steele on a top-30 visit.
Similarly, the team often hosts top-100 draft picks on visits. Another example from last season, they hosted BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia on a top-30 visit.
BYU OT Caleb Etienne’s fit with the Chiefs
The Chiefs, of course, have precise needs at the left tackle position. They started four players at the position in 2024, and they’ve started a different player at the position in each of their Super Bowl appearances during the Patrick Mahomes era. Finding their guy, whether a first-round draft pick or a late-round hail mary, is vital.
Kansas City, of course, has Andy Reid’s connection to BYU, which is probably a little overstated regarding the NFL draft. Since 2013, the team has only drafted one BYU player (Kingsley Suamataia, 2024). However, they prioritize some BYU players in undrafted free agency (See Daniel Sorensen and Zayne Anderson).
We appreciate the Kansas City Chiefs for bringing @BIG_CALEB76 out on a Top 30 visit. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/KiCUzbwdM4
— Agent Barnes (@AliBarnes_agent) March 6, 2025
At 6-foot-8 and 320 pounds, Etienne has the size and frame to be a starting tackle in the national football league. He went from being among the lowest-ranked offensive linemen in BYU history from an advanced analytic standpoint to an All-Big 12 First-Team selection in 2024, starting all 14 games at left tackle. He allowed 23 total pressures on the season, including three sacks, and he vastly improved as a run-blocking.
