A four-star transfer from Northwestern who did not allow a sack in two seasons as LSU's starting guard, signing with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent.
Josh Thompson quietly built one of the cleanest pass-protection resumes in the 2026 draft class, first at Northwestern and then at LSU, without cracking most public draft boards. The Chiefs signed him as an undrafted free agent, betting on technique that scouts compared favorably to NFL starters.
Path to the league
Thompson, a 6-foot-4, 307-pound guard, started two seasons at Northwestern, splitting time between right tackle and right guard, before transferring to LSU for his final college season. The Athletic's Dane Brugler ranked him as the No. 8 interior offensive lineman among senior prospects heading into the 2026 draft, but he went unselected and signed with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent.
Career highlights
Thompson's calling card was consistency in pass protection, going without a surrendered sack in both his final season at Northwestern in 2024 and his lone season at LSU in 2025. Evaluators noted his low pad level, light footwork and ability to mirror both interior rushers and blitzers, comparing his frame to Tennessee Titans first-round guard Peter Skoronski, a former Northwestern teammate.
2025 season recap
In his one season at LSU, Thompson started at guard and allowed just seven total pressures while posting an 83.8 pass block grade, continuing the clean protection track record he built at Northwestern. The performance was strong enough to draw UDFA interest from multiple teams before he landed with Kansas City.
Sources
- Yahoo Sports: Chiefs sign underrated LSU guard Josh Thompson as undrafted free agent
- SI.com: Former Northwestern Guard Receives NFL Draft Ranking for LSU
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Guard
- Group
- offense
- College
- LSU
- Hometown
- Fenton, MI, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
