Jeffrey Bassa film review; Looking at the Chiefs' new LB
Examining the film of the 5th round pick KC traded up to grab.
With the Chiefs’ 2025 draft now in the books, we have a ton of new film to review. My favorite part of the draft is examining new players to try and figure out where they win, where they need work, and how they can fit in with the Chiefs in their first season and beyond. Here are the film reviews we’ve already done for this year’s draft class:
Round 1: LT Josh Simmons (both pre-draft review and post-draft looking at the potential plan for him)
Round 4: WR Jalen Royals (I reviewed him right away by popular demand)
Round 3: Edge rusher Ashton Gillotte (whose film I loved)
Today, we’re looking at 5th round pick (and the last of our coverage of Kansas City’s 2025 draft) Jeffrey Bassa, a linebacker out of Oregon.
Bassa’s pick was an interesting one. As the 5th round ticked by, Chiefs fans were becoming increasingly angsty about the fact that Veach and company had not yet selected a running back (NOT a linebacker, as I originally wrote in a fog lol). When an unexpected trade-up occurred with multiple RBs still on the board, the assumption was that they were making their move to grab a playmaker at that position. Instead, the Chiefs grabbed Bassa, a decorated multi-year starter at Oregon who our friends at
graded as a potential 3rd round pick. Hey, value!
For me, I get the idea of grabbing a linebacker even though I would have preferred going the RB route (though given that I liked Smith’s film, perhaps there’s no need). The Chiefs are set at LB for the 2025 season with Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, and Leo Chenal. However, Chenal is in the final year of his deal and MAY have made enough memorable plays to price himself out of KC despite being a niche/role player (though my preference would be to keep him). Additionally, Tranquill had a down 2024 season and the Chiefs could in theory save $6 million by moving on from him after the season if that happens again. Either way, his contract ends after 2026.
So there are some long-term questions at the position, particularly when it comes to Tranquill’s role as a guy who can defend in space. That’s where Bassa (on paper) comes into play.
I went back and reviewed multiple 2024 games for Bassa, who despite being relatively undersized was a full-time LB (rather than merely a passing down guy) and was a major cog in Oregon’s defense. The questions, as always, are where he wins, where he needs to improve (and/or questions about his game), and what his role may be with the Chiefs.
Let’s talk Jeffrey Bassa.
Where Bassa Wins
I think the vision for Bassa as a Chief revolves around his intelligence, generally sound tackling, and ability to operate in space well. He’s very comfortable in coverage in terms of seeing route combinations develop and being in the right spots as a zone defender.
(As always, remember that clips are demonstrative, not dispositive. The point is to DEMONSTRATE a trait that shows up on film, not “prove” anything)
This is one of my favorite coverage reps by Bassa in the games I watched, and it shows off some of the instincts and discipline, along with ability to move in space, that allow him to be a solid overage defender in the middle of the field. Here, Bassa appears to be dropping into man coverage (it may be match), but on a different offensive player than his initial alignment shows. He does a nice job moving laterally and keeping his coverage responsibility in front of him, but keeps an eye on the QB as he moves. He also keeps his hips square and his feet underneath him so he’s ready to change direction.
All this comes into play when the QB tries to hit the window behind him. In theory, that’s a window that should be open, as the receiver creates separation against his defender. But Bassa sees the ball is coming out and breaks on it well, coming between the receiver and the ball and collecting a defensed pass. It’s the sort of play that requires understanding of route combinations/concepts, solid athleticism, and discipline.