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Omarr Norman-Lott ready to 'prove all the naysayers wrong' as second-round pick

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•05/07/25•

GrantRamey

Omarr Norman-Lott , Kansas City Chiefs | Steve Sanders
Omarr Norman-Lott , Kansas City Chiefs | Steve Sanders

Mel Kiper Jr. didn’t understand the pick. ESPN’s longtime NFL Draft analyst couldn’t believe the Kansas City Chiefs called Omarr Norman-Lott’s name in the second round, taking the Tennessee defensive tackle with the 63rd overall pick. 

“I was surprised to see the Chiefs pull Omarr Norman-Lott from way, way down my board at No. 63,” Kiper wrote while grading the NFL Draft. “He just snuck into my top 150 at No. 142 overall. Norman-Lott started just five of his 45 career games.” 

Norman-Lott played 23 games over Tennessee at the last two seasons, transferring to the Vols after three years at Arizona State. He had 10 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks at Tennessee and 17 TFLs and 13.5 sacks over his five-year college career. 

‘I’m excited to go out there and do it and prove all the naysayers wrong’

“He has some pass-rush upside (4.5 sacks from inside),” Kiper wrote, “but I don’t understand what Kansas City saw in the value here. And that’s especially true since Darius Alexander was still on the board; he was over 100 spots higher in my rankings.”

The Chiefs apparently weren’t concerned with Kiper’s rankings or where Norman-Lott stood on his NFL Draft Big Board. He was the ninth defensive tackle selected in the draft, which included five in the first round, and was taken two picks of ahead of Alexander.

“I’m excited to go out there and do it and prove all the naysayers wrong,” Norman-Lott said during Chiefs rookie minicamp. “But I’m not the kind of guy that listens to all the outside chatter. I just focus on what’s at hand, stay where my feet are at and play hard.”

Omarr Norman-Lott averaged 20.5 snaps per game at Tennessee

Norman-Lott was asked about his limited playing time at Tennessee. He played 235 snaps in 2023 and 225 last season. He averaged 23.5 per game in 2023 and 17.3 last season. 

Tennessee’s depth on the interior of the defensive line, and defensive line coach Rodney Garner, was responsible for those numbers. And Norman-Lott was fine with it. 

“Of course, you want to play more,” he said. “But we had a rotation of six (defensive) tackles that could all start in the SEC. And my position coach, if you don’t know who he is, Rodney Garner, an incredible coach, he believes in keeping his guys fresh. So I took the opportunities I was given and I made the best of it.”

And it will be the same mindset in the NFL. 

“Whatever opportunities I have,” Norman-Lott said, “I’m going to make the best of it, whether it’s more or less.”

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