The State of the Chiefs:
After four straight conference championship appearances, two Super Bowl appearances, and a Lombardi Trophy, the Chiefs made the decision to not cling to the past and reload.
Trading star WR Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins added a plethora of assets to help this team build again with a QB locked in for the long haul. For two seasons we have witnessed the holes in depth, the struggling defense, the cracks in the game plan. Instead of paying to keep the gang together, it’s time to reload.
There aren’t any glaring holes on the roster, but elite offensive efficiency and terrible defensive efficiency point towards addressing the defense, but a WR pick is a necessity. With two firsts and two seconds, it would not shock me to see them jump around the board a bit to land players of choice.
#29 & #30 Overall
With back-to-back selections, the candidates for these two picks will be the same.
Jahan Dotson – WR – Penn State
Dotson’s size and toughness limit him in certain situations, but his explosiveness and body control allow him to make spectacular plays at all levels of the field.
Dotson’s sure hands and dynamic YAC ability make him a perfect fit in a KC offense.
Skyy Moore – WR – Western Michigan
Moore is a lightning-quick receiver with room to grow and the innate skills that allow him to be a dynamic playmaker for a creative offense at the next level, especially if his refinement and development go as planned.
Moore was voted “Most Likely to be the Next Tyreek Hill” of this draft class. Kidding, but also not.
Andrew Booth Jr. – CB – Clemson
Booth is a twitchy, athletic corner with the man coverage tools and ball skills to develop into a strong starter at the next level, but his tackling woes and lack of hip fluidity could hold him back early in his career.
Booth’s ability to play in man coverage is an area Kansas City really struggled with in their AFC Title clash with Cincinnati.
Mafe has the hand use and freaky athleticism teams covet in edge defenders, but he will have to work on his pad level and round out his pass rushing plan of attack to reach his potential as a three-down starter.
After Melvin Ingram’s departure, the Chiefs are in huge need of an edge rusher that can play with both a hand down and upright.
Hill is a versatile and competitive defensive back who can be impactful at all levels of the field with his man coverage ability, despite his slight frame.
Daniel Sorenson’s well-documented struggles over the top suggest a safety selection early. Hill’s abilities in coverage while being a willing competitor make him worthy of such a high pick.
#50 Overall
DeMarvin Leal – DT – Texas A&M
Leal is an athletic and agile defensive lineman at his size, who offers great versatility as a pass rusher but needs to work on his interior run defense to keep that flexibility on all three downs.
Pairing Chris Jones with another highly athletic pass rusher along the interior is an easy way to generate a lot of pressure.
Jaquan Brisker – S – Penn State
Brisker is a polished, ready-made, versatile DB with a well-rounded set of physical, mental, and emotional tools that add up to a high-floor safety in the NFL.
Any team looking for a safety should be considering Brisker’s do-it-all, experienced skillset.
Woolen’s gliding strides, elite athleticism, and superior length are difficult traits to teach, but he needs to match his play strength to his size and continue growing his natural coverage skills and comfortability to reach his high ceiling.
Bet on the tools, and let Woolen add immediate depth to the CB room, with experience likely resulting in a long-term starter.
#62 Overall
Pitre is a super twitched-up athlete with very good instincts for when to attack and a skill set that will have him making plays all over the field, but limited deep cover skills likely limit him to exclusively playing near the LOS.
If the Chiefs would like to add a physical safety to replicate the play style of Tyrann Mathieu, Pitre is an excellent choice.
Wan’Dale Robinson – WR – Kentucky
Robinson is undersized and needs improved route sharpness, savvy, and overall receiving play detail, but his short-area quickness and extensive history as a ballcarrier give him an intriguing ceiling as a mismatch weapon out of the slot.
Hill’s YAC ability was a huge feature of the KC offense in the past, and they lack a player with the twitch that Tyreek brought them.
#94 Overall
Ross has the combination of size, athleticism, and quick-twitch to contribute in a variety of ways in a receiving room at the next level, but must overcome injury and production concerns to do so.
Ross comes at a discount after injuries and lacking recent production, but was outstanding as a freshman.
Cam Taylor-Britt – CB – Nebraska
Taylor-Britt has some technical aspects to refine, but he has the athleticism, mental processing, and physicality to develop into a quality slot corner or safety.
A defensive chess piece that can provide valuable reps in different areas of coverage.
#103 Overall
Khalil Shakir – WR – Boston College
Shakir has the route running, short-area quickness, and versatility to become a slot receiver at the next level, but he will need to work on his hands and his ability to attack the ball to maximize his playing time.
Shakir is a good depth WR, bringing desirable traits in route running to a room that lost multiple contributors.
Mitchell has the frame and athleticism to become a valuable swing tackle and potentially more if he can continue to work on the technical aspects of his game.
While not an immediate starter, he helps address a productivity hole at right tackle as a depth option and competitor, with tools that could eventually allow him to start.
To learn more about the Chiefs and their needs, visit their team page on our NFL Draft website here.
