Chiefs Expand The Kingdom – Kansas City Chiefs Draft Profile

The Chiefs saw themselves become one of the middle of the pack teams early last season. They rallied back behind a steady handed Patrick Mahomes to make the playoffs, but showed chinks in the armor.

As of now with the departure of Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu, they will need to bolster the roster. They have had a good track record with the draft and this year they should look to build the team back up. Here is how they can:   

 

Day 1

Round 1, Pick 29: Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan

Round 1, Pick 30: Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia

As mentioned before, Tyreek Hill is no longer with the team. The Chiefs should look into finding a replacement for his production, but also bolster the defense, which has been a weakness for them.

Skyy Moore is a solid receiver with great YAC ability. He isn’t a speed demon but he consistently beats press and man coverage. His long arms and ability to utilize leverage is also a high value to any offense, but most definitely to the pass-happy Chiefs.

KC got a big boost from rookie linebacker Nick Bolton last season. Making that a strong point could be a good move and drafting Nakobe Dean solidifies that group. Dean is a do it all linebacker cut from the Derrick Thomas mold. He can get to the passer, cover tight ends and run sideline to sideline. The Chiefs weakness would become a strength with a strong leader like Dean in the middle.

 

Day 2

Round 2, Pick 18: Josh Jobe, CB, Alabama

Round 2, Pick 30: Alex Wright, Edge, UAB

Round 3, Pick 30: Jason Poe, OL, Mercer College

Round 3, Pick 39: Nick Zakelj, OL, Fordham

Day two should be an extension of day one for the Chiefs. They should be looking to add more starters to the team that can contribute early. Cornerback and the offensive line have been issues for them and grabbing those positions is paramount.

Josh Jobe, Jason Poe and Nick Zakelj are all fits to be starters on the roster.

Jobe is a physical corner who thrives in press coverage. His size is average but he plays with sound technique and footwork.

Poe and Zakelj are both highly capable offensive lineman. Poe is an excellent interior blocker who fits as a center at the next level. He is an elite seal blocker who finishes. Zakelj is an NFL ready tackle with a nastiness to him. He needs work on his knee bend, but does well to mirror pass rushers with good hands at the point of attack. He can step in as the starting right tackle day one and develop into a Pro Bowl starter.  

Alex Wright is a solid edge rusher with NFL length and athleticism. He is a solid run defender who does well with closing off backside cutback lanes. It will take a couple of years for him to truly see his potential but having him on the roster is better than not.

 

Day 3

Round 4, Pick 16: Neil Farrell Jr., DL, LSU

Round 4, Pick 30: D’Vonte Price, RB, Florida International

Round 7, Pick 12: Jarreth Stearns, WR, Western Kentucky

Round 7, Pick 22: Nick Grant, Safety, Virginia

Round 7, Pick 30: Sean Dykes, TE, Memphis

Round 7, Pick 38: Marcus McKethan, OL, North Carolina

Day three shouldn’t be a throw-away for the Kansas City brass. Some of the best players in the league have come from the back half of the draft.

The Chiefs need quality in some key positions and they could find it in the players here.

Price, Dean III and Stearns are all players that fit that profile. Price is a multi-threat back that has gamebreaking speed. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is on the roster but having a LeVeon Bell-esque back wouldn’t hurt.

Stearns is a receiver that just knows how to get separation. He is on the smaller side but that doesn’t affect him much in getting free from opposing defenders. Grant is a taller safety but he plays with lose hips in coverage. He isn’t as versatile as the Matthieu but he does possess the ability to play center field, which will help the corners out as well. KC has missed having Eric Berry in their defensive backfield and Grant has those skills.

The big men on day three for the Chiefs may be camp bodies or practice squad guys but they still fill a need. Farrell Jr. is a good  interior pass rusher and has good reach from blocks to stuff runs. He does have issues with secondary moves, which could stunt his role in the defense. McKethan is a good interior blocker but often times gets beat by speed. With the league rushing more interior linebackers, that could cause issues for him.

The Chiefs are still a good team but the draft will be important to their continued success. Can they expand the kingdom? We will see.