Oh boy, draft season is starting! This may be my favorite time of the year when it comes to sports. 1st draft up is the NFL draft on April 30 to the 2nd of May.
There is so much to love about this year’s draft, aside from just talent. We got a massive character concern at the head of the draft with a star QB, the previous top pass rusher and one ot the top receivers as well. That isn't even accounting for the injuries to top players.
What I decided to do here is give a breakdown of the Chiefs top 3 needs, then go round by round and give what I want the Chiefs to do and what I think they actually do.
Team Needs
Wide Receiver -
If you honestly thought that signing Jeremy Maclin (for way too much money but I will get to that) was enough for this team then you need to look at the depth chart again. KC did not throw a touchdown to a receiver last year… thats incredible. This position looks ugly.
Gone is Dwayne Bowe and his contract, Donnie Avery disappeared with more injuries than we can count, and A.J. Jenkins… well he lasted longer than Jonathan Baldwin in the league.
What KC does have is De’Anthony Thomas, who could be an extremely dangerous slot receiver; Frankie Hammond, Junior Hemingway and Albert Wilson who are all 4th receivers at best although fans love them; Da’Rick Rogers who has massive character concerns, but has had incredible talent dating back to his days at the University of Tennessee; lastly is Jeremy Maclin.
Maclin was heralded as a great signing for Kansas City, but people seemed to ignore three things about his deal.
First off it was a massive overpay. I will never blame players for their checks, but damn Kansas City overpaid. 5 years and $55 million with over $20 million in guarantees? What were John Dorsey and Andy Reid thinking? This deal is stupid. Does Dorsey know how to negotiate? First was the awful Alex Smith extension and now this dreadful deal. Massive overpays for guys that are not worth that money. Plus, Maclin is not a no. 1 receiver. He may be a good no. 2, but that is top receiver money. When it was rumored I was pissed and I still am. Maclin is a good yards after the catch receiver, but he better be elite considering his down the field speed is useless with Smith at QB. Just awful.
Second, and this could really be first, Justin Houston needs to be paid. Houston is the superior and more important player but because Maclin is a former Reid guy so he got the deal? If Houston leaves because of this deal not leaving enough money for him, then questions need to be thrown at Dorsey and Reid.
Lastly, the Chiefs are in an awful salary cap situation. We found the money to pay Maclin, but not one of our own? Is management watching recent drafts? Overpaying for wide receivers has just looked bad lately with recent guys such as Mike Wallace, Percy Harvin (double whammy of paying the price to trade for him, than actually giving a big deal), Eric Decker (partly on terrible QB play), Greg Jennings, and the injury riddled Danny Amendola(half the price but the injury risk was just stupid). The past two drafts have provided great receiver production and potential, yet KC ignores it and hurts the cap situation even further… great job Reid and Dorsey.
More is needed at the position and KC should look into using their top pick on a receiver or maybe even in the second. A couple guys in the middle rounds wouldn’t hurt either. You will see a lot of receivers listed later. It is more of a wish list, as maybe 2 or 3 actually would get picked.
Offensive Line -
Kansas City is apparently the NFL’s offensive line farm. In the past two years Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah, Rodney Hudson and Geoff Schwartz all have left for starting gigs. Then people wonder why the line has gone to crap.
Kansas City overpaid slightly for an aging Ben Grubbs, but he is healthy and still an above average guard.
Eric Fisher has disappointed in his first two years, but going into his rookie year he was injured and extremely raw, then going into his first offseason he had multiple surgeries. Fisher needs a great training camp and to start showing his potential after KC used the top pick in 2013 on him.
Donald Stephenson tested positive for a PED and was off or injured the rest of the year and Jeff Allen was lost to the IR for the majority of the year. Rodney was extremely good, but he left for the rival Raiders.
There is much pressure to perform and stay on the field for Fisher, Allen and Stephenson this year. If they do not improve this year, the line could be in turmoil for a few more years.
Kansas City possesses a few solid potential lineman, but it won’t be surprising him Reid (the fatty loves the fatties) uses a high pick or two on line help.
Secondary-
This was between inside linebacker, defensive line, cornerback and safety.
I combined safety and corner due to needing more depth with Ron Parker being given an extension (massive overpay AGAIN after only one solid year from a journeyman); free agent signee Tyvon Branch is not inspiring; Phillip Gaines is still incredibly raw; and Sean Smith is in the last year of his deal.
This is also based on the health of Eric Berry. He is an amazing player, but after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, his career is up in the air. Football players and fans pray and hope for the best, but sadly, measures need to be taken to make sure this spot does not become a black hole.
Sander Commings is an interesting player but is continually hurt, and it may be time to cut bait on that dream. He is listed as a corner, but he was believed to be the team favorite to play opposite of Berry before he got hurt again. Phillip Gaines is intriguing due to his size and speed combo, but he may have been an overdraft last year because he is very raw.
The front seven gives great pressure, hiding some of the secondaries weaknesses, but improvements are needed.
Draft Picks
Before I start making picks, let me just say that Kansas City has 10 picks in this year’s draft. No way are they using all of those on actual players. Reid is known to like to move around and some of these picks could be used to move up or trade for vets during the draft. For the purpose of this exercise I am not going to factor in trades, but expect at least one or two deals to probably move up and grab a guy the team likes.
Draft Picks
Round 1: Pick 18-
Who I want: Marcus Peters - CB - Washington
To me, Peters is the top corner in the draft. He has the size, length, explosiveness and raw abilities to show you that he could one day be a shutdown corner. Him being kicked off the Huskies is concerning, but with Sean Smith entering the final year of his deal, we may need to look into at least grooming a guy to replace him. Plus his dismissal was more due to clash with coaches attitudes, than actual coachability or legal/character issues.
Who I truly want is Dorial Beckham-Green. He has the makings of a true No. 1 wide out. He is incredibly raw and has issues but I will get to that in a minute. This may be too much of a reach for him, but with Kansas City needing another receiver, he needs to be considered.
Who I think we get: Cameron Erving - C - Florida State
Funny, Kansas City just lost Rodney Hudson, a former FSU alumni, and could be replacing him with another alum. Bottom line with Erving, it is a severe need, and he is a quality player who could develop into a Pro Bowl Center. With Hudson bolting for Oakland, Eric Kush (who?) is the only center on the roster. There are possible options for guys to shift inside, but this might be the best fit and value for KC.
Round 2: Pick 49-
Who I want: Cedric Ogbuehi - OT - Texas A&M
I am throwing a bit of a wrench in the typical one wish and likely pick, adding another option to the wish list. Ogbuehi is quite possibly the best tackle in the draft but an unfortunate ACL tear at the Liberty Bowl has dinged his stock dramatically. Before the tear he was a debatable Top 10 or 15 pick, now he is a borderline 1st rounder and could possibly slide into the mid 2nd. Ogbuehi may be a bit older than you like (just turning 23 a week before the draft), but he has good size, and comes from an apparent tackle factory at College Station. He is a little shakier than Jake Matthews and Luke Joeckel were when they came out, but he may actually have a better ceiling. A healthy Ogbuehi could enable the Chiefs to shift Donald Stephenson inside and have a good potential bookend pairing in Fisher and Ogbuehi. He is likely to go before this pick, but if he falls, Andy Reid will have a very hard time not pulling the trigger on this guy.
Who I want: Dorial Beckham-Green - WR - Oklahoma
One of my favorite players in terms of potential and talent in the draft, I am beyond conflicted with DGB. I think he is possibly the the third or fourth best receiver in the draft, and would have no problem with Kansas City drafting him at 18 with rumors he could go in the late first. He has all the abilities, but needs to be brought along closely. The real problem with DGB is his character. He was thrown off the Mizzou Tigers after an incident of throwing a woman down a flight of stairs. After combine interviews, he seems to have matured a bit, but after the Jovan Belcher incident a few years ago, the Jameis Winston saga which is incredibly rarely talked about in the media, and with the Greg Hardy mess, would it be worth it? The talent tells me yes, but can you risk him making you look like a fool? Andy Reid once took on the ultimate headache in Terrell Owens, so could he do it again?
Wide Receiver is a huge need as I stated above, so do you grab the potential home run? Or do you pass in fear of looking foolish due to character concerns? A trade up (assets to move up are there) may be necessary to get him or even the following guy.
Who I think we get: Denzel Perryman- ILB - Miami (Fl.)
Derrick Johnson tore his achilles last year and is 32, going to turn 33, in the middle of the season. He is not too expensive at the moment, but adding a guy better than Josh Mauga, or James-Michael Johnson. Perryman is coming from a long line of good inside linebackers produced by The U, but he may be the below his predecessors. He may be a little bit slower than you would like in the 40, but he seems to fly around on the field. This could be the guy to groom to one day replace DJ.
Round 3: Pick 80-
Who I want: Shaq Thompson - S - Washington
Eric Berry is a huge question mark. Ron Parker is possibly a one year wonder, and Tyvon Branch… well he is a stop gap. Enter, Thompson. He played, running back, linebacker and safety while at Washington, and decided to make the smart move of playing just defense in the League. A few teams have reportedly gotten angry when Thompson told them that he would prefer to stay on the defensive side of the ball.
It is actually amazing he could be had at this point, and it may require a bit of a slide, but he was in Mel Kiper’s Big Board for part of the season. He is an athletic freak and would be a great fit for KC. About a week before the Falcons told Thompson they would like him to play safety, I had compared him to Kam Chancellor to Jeff. Well guess who the Falcons compared him to? Damn I am good. If Berry comes back healthy, a tandem of Berry (KC’s Earl Thomas) and Thompson (Chancellor type) could be amazing for the next 10 years. Again, maybe would have to trade up for him, but there are assets available to move up a few picks.
Who I think we get: Henry Anderson- DE - Stanford
Allen Bailey got a contract extension, which was great considering it was a potential bargain, 4 years at $25 million, but Mike DeVito ruptured his achilles in the same game as DJ last year. DeVito took a pay cut to stay in KC, but a possible replacement for the 30 year old.
Anderson is the type of guy I love for a 3-4 DE. At 6’6” and 294 pounds, he could be a defensive tackle in a 4-3, but in KC’s 3-4, he would fit in nicely next to Dontari Poe. Anderson does not have great speed (5.03 40), but most 3-4 DE’s are not expected to, but he does have great explosion and quickness off the line (7.2 3 cone drill and 4.19 20 yard shuttle, both tops for his position). He needs to improve his lower half and add a bit more bulk, but definitely a guy Andy Reid could love.
Round 3: Pick 98-
Who I want: Stefon Diggs - WR - Maryland
Did I mention Kansas City needs receivers? Diggs is a great athlete with good speed and decent size. He could be a good slot guy, but that could take reps from De’Anthony Thomas, and could get in the way of Jeremy Maclin. Sadly, with Alex Smith’s weak arm, guys bunched up around the line is what KC is going to have most of the time. He needs to work on route running and stop worrying about being hit, but could be a good possible outside receiver, as he works well with space.
Who I think we get: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu - CB - Oregon
The curious case of Ifo. Ekpre-Olomu had possible 1st round talent, at minimum mid second round, but a blown out knee in the game against FSU will cause him to slide. He is an incredibly fluid athlete, but gambles and at times uses poor mechanics and techniques. He is a bit on the short side, but as a potential nickel corner, he would be good value here. Jeff and I seem to be on the same page here, but I see Ekpre-Olomu sliding a bit farther than he does.
Round 4: Pick 118-
Who I want: Anthony Chickillo - DE - Miami (Fl.)
Admittedly I am a bit of a Miami Hurricanes fan, but this would be a good pick at this slot, despite a bit of a reach. The stock on Chickillo is a bit up in the air as some think he is a 5th or 6th rounder, but others thinking he could go early to mid 4th round. He was a high recruit out of high school and has too get more aggressive, but the talent is there. At the senior bowl , Chickillo played Pittsburgh tackle prospect TJ. Clemmings extremely well, but he needs to much work on his lower half as well. He didn’t run the best 40 (4.79, not all that awful either) but he did well in the 3 cone (7.17) and 20 yard shuttle (4.25), putting up top performer numbers according to NFL.com. He may be a bit of an odd fit, being a bit of a tweener, but if he can drop some weight, improve his strength and quickness more, he could be a solid rotation piece in the 3-4.
Who I think we get: Chris Conley - WR - Georgia
You may see this guy talked about later by Jeff, but he is a very intriguing prospect. Conley reminds me a bit of Martavious Bryant, but just a bit shorter. Like Bryant, Conley was an inconsistent piece with crazy tools who was just overshadowed by a superior player. Bryant had Sammy Watkins and Conley had Todd Gurley.
Conley has excellent speed, 4.35 40, size 6’2” and good sized hands at 9 ⅞” hands. Rumors are he may go higher, but if he slides to KC in the 4th, the receiving corps could do a lot worse than adding this athletic specimen.
Round 5: Pick 172-
Who I want: Arie Kouandjio - OG - Alabama
Kouandjio is the older brother of Buffalo Bill Cyrus Kouandjio. Cyrus is the superior player, sadly he could have a degenerative knee issue, but Arie is a potential starter at guard for some team. In KC, Arie would be considered depth, but with Jeff Allen coming off injury and Donald Stephenson a question mark (plus do you shift Stephenson inside and take a guy earlier in the draft to play RT or keep him at RT), Arie could find himself playing early on in his career.
Arie has good size, but it is obvious why his brother is considered the better player. He could be a good project for Reid.
Who I think we get: Josh Shaw - DB - USC
With good size, decent speed and impressive strength for the position, it would be easy to think Shaw is taken much earlier than this. The question mark is his character. After an odd incident injuring his ankles saying he saved a baby by jumping into a pool from a balcony, and later finding out he lied, this could be the reason why he slipped. He is raw and you would like to see him be a bit more fluid, be would be good depth and could be a project for a potential safety spot in a couple years, as corner is likely out of the question in the pros.
Round 5: Pick 173-
Who I want: Taiwan Jones - ILB - Michigan State
Jones had a disastrous 40 yard dash at the combine posting only a 4.95, but had a minor redemption at his Pro Day, running a 4.82. As of this moment, Jones is not the highest of inside linebacker prospects, but if KC does not add a player like Denzel Perryman, look for them to use one of these picks on an inside backer.
What Jones lacks in speed and fluidity, he makes up in size and strength. At 6’3” and 245, he is an imposing guy. If he could lean out a bit and work on his feet, he could definitely be a solid guy in the future. He may never be a starter, but a backup like this would be good value in this range
Who I think we get: Darren Waller- WR - Georgia Tech
I mentioned the Chiefs need help at receiver right? Clearly there is no way KC picks this many receivers, I am more of just giving options. This late in the draft, it is even more of a crapshoot than the early rounds.
Waller is the Georgia Tech mold for receivers. 6’6”, running a 4.46 40, and running a great 11.35 second 60 yard shuttle. He is incredibly raw and may not be the all world athlete Georgia Tech usually produces, but with his great size and good speed, there is a mold to work with. With a good wide receiver coach and the want to develop by Waller, he has very nice potential. He is a great red zone target, with the ability to use his height, long arms and decent vertical jump to flat out get higher than anyone else.
His stock is all over the place, some thinking 5th or 6th round, while other think he could go as high as the late 3rd. The old adage is true, you can't teach size.
Round 6: Pick 193-
Who I want: Lynden Trail - DE/OLB - Norfolk State
This is a flat out potential pick. Trail is huge at 6’7” and 269 pounds. He is a former high school receiver (switch to tight end may be unlikely but that could always be intriguing). Trail is not very aggressive, so he needs to get meaner. Trail is more of a 34 OLB than a 43 DE, but the size makes him intriguing, at least to me. He shows good burst, but does not have top end speed (not everyone is Justin Houston KC fans). He needs to add strength and needs major development, but this is the place where you make gambles like this, and his measurables make him a great pick. As a team who at the moment does not need a player at this position, it could be actually a great place for them to take him and stash and develop him.
Who I think we get: Ladarius Gunter - S - Miami (Fl.)
Gunter is listed as a corner, but the size and lack of speed might translate better with a shift to safety. Have you gotten the hint that I am not high on Ron Parker or Tyvon Branch yet? A safety with good size but lacks good speed. He will need intense work with the conditioning coach. What Gunter lacks in speed, his size, strength and playmaking abilities make up for. At the very least he could be a good project while he helps out on special teams.
Round 7: Pick 217-
Who I want: Leterrius Walton - NT - Central Michigan
This may be a bit of a slide for Walton, but it is not out of the realm of possibility. Dontari Poe is an absolute monster, but he plays so many snaps that KC needs to find a guy to at least spell him for a few more snaps a game. At 6’5” and 319 lbs., Walton possesses great size to at least stuff the run, but he was not impressive in terms of strength, only lifting 225 25 times. To compare that, Reggie Bush at his combine had 24 reps. Yep, that Reggie Bush, the all-purpose back.
He has loads of potential, but is plenty raw at the moment. He could be a “second contract guy.” That means his second deal could bring him the pay day he is hoping for. We could easily see his name called in the 5th round, but as I see some things falling, this is possible. A player earlier picked such as Chickillo or Diggs could be switched with another Nose Tackle, but compared to options at that point, I prefer guys like that to the options for a NT.
Who I think we get: Blake Bell - TE - Oklahoma
The former OU quarterback is still developing as a pass catcher now, but he has nice strong hands, and seems to have a natural instinct, though his route running is still very rough. In today’s NFL, it is always good to have multiple pass catching tight ends, and though he is incredibly raw, this could be a steal.
At 6’6” and 252 pounds, Bell could stand to add a bit more muscle, but ran great at the combine, posting a 4.8 40, 4.32 20 yard shuttle, and 11.81 60 yard shuttle. In the tops for the position group according to NFL.com. He still needs to add strength, thus the need for more muscle, but this could be a homerun.
And who knows, Reid loves QBs, so maybe he switches him back (unlikely). On a bit of a side note there, there is no QB listed on here to be a possibility for KC, but do not be surprised if Reid picks at least one and cuts one of the 5 QBs on the roster, my vote is Aaron Murray. Sorry Jeff.
Round 7: Pick 217-
Who I want: Ellis McCarthy - NT - UCLA
A great 5 star recruit coming into UCLA, he got huge and had knee injuries. But, the talent has always been there. He needs major conditioning, added strength, technique and consistency improvement. A fall to here may be a punch in the gut the guy needs. 6’5” and nearing 340, he needs to drop about 15 to 20 pounds in fat, add it in muscle and hope he develops a more consistent motor. He is massive project, as he did not help himself at UCLA, but the idea of him is intriguing.
Who I think we get: Leon Orr - NT - Florida
I am kind of using the idea of, throw crap at the wall and see what sticks. As said with Walton above, Poe needs a guy to at least spell him from time to time. Walton would likely have to slide for him to be picked were projected here, but with Orr, not much of a slide would be needed. At 6’5” and weighing 323, the size is a big plus, and possibly more intriguing scenario could be Orr dropping 20 pounds, adding some back in muscle and playing a 34 DE. A great athlete for his size, he needs major technique work and has minor character concerns.
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