ArrowheadOne Writers Predict Chiefs First Round: Who Do You Choose?

It comes down to this. No more mocks. No more evaluations. No more “Path to the Draft” hyperbole or “NFL Live” concocted conjectures. You just get one pick. So, who do you choose?

Actually… we’re going to give you a triad of ways to… get it right: a “prediction” and a “personal pick” and a “selfish daydream.” Some of our writers are joining me to give us their, predictions, personal picks, and daydreams too. So, here we go.

For the 2017 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs first round pick:

Frank Leggio

• This is a combo prediction: my wish and first rounder: I think we break 30 years of tradition and pick a QB in the first round. Deshaun Watson is going to fall into our lap.
• I am also thinking Dorsey packages some later round picks to move up in the second and pick up CB Chidobe Awuzie. Bonus: we get to say he left someone Awuzie after a big hit.
• Too many picks available to all make the roster, so better spent on moving up to get quality.

M e r l i n

• Prediction: Chiefs trade up to draft Patrick Mahomes.
• Who I want: Haasan Reddick.
• My selfish daydream pick: trades to net both players above (OK, it’s greedy as well as selfish).

Ransom Hawthorne

• If I had to guess, I would say that Chiefs will trade up to get a QB. Between Smith having a down year last year, and salary cap problems, it just makes too much sense.
• However, I’d rather see them pick an OLB like T.J. Watt or Charles Harris. This is a big need and a solid pick there really helps the cap situation down the road.
• If I were to daydream about the ideal scenario, I would have Chiefs trade down to the bottom of the first to select Sidney Jones, then package their other picks to get as many picks in the top four rounds as possible. Since most teams will want to trade down this year, that seems unlikely.

Frank Rodela

John Dillman

•  My prediction: Patrick Mahomes II
•  Who I would pick: Christian McCaffrey
•  Selfish Daydream: My wish upon a star draft would be to trade the first round pick for a second this year and a third next year and pick up both Davis Webb and Curtis Samuel in the second round. Samuel has the speed and hands of Tyreek Hill and the elusiveness of Jamaal Charles. He would be a fantastic addition along with Webb.

Jason Seibel

•  A prediction: I think if the Chiefs make it all the way to 27 without trading up they go defense, either DT or LB.  In this spot, I think they go with T.J. Watt.
•  Who I want: I want a QB here. I would love to see Deshaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes in this spot.
•  My selfish daydream pick: I would love for the Chiefs to pick up Christian McCaffrey for him to be the heir apparent to Jamaal Charles.

Paul Heitman

• Preface: I’ll be honest, Dee Ford, Marcus Peters, and even Chris Jones were not even on my radar in the past three drafts, so chances are good I whiff on my prediction. Dorsey has made some solid picks in his KC tenure, but most have been contrary to what “draft experts” had predicted. This “pave our own road” approach to scouting and drafting players is refreshing (they obviously wholly trust their scouting department), and also makes it difficult to accurately project. That, combined with the roster void of many glaring needs, puts the Chiefs are in a position to do one of two things: 1) Take a chance on a QBOTF, or 2) Pick the best player available.
• My prediction: for the first round it’s simple. Mitchell Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, and Pat Mahomes are all taken well before KC picks (Trubisky to CLE at 12, Mahomes to AZ at 13, Watson to HOU at 25). Because of this, the Chiefs will be comfortable with a Josh Dobbs or Chad Kelly in later rounds. So, we’re looking at BPA at this point. If either Christian McCaffrey or Rueben Foster falls to 27, the Chiefs take him. If not, I think they try and repeat the Marcus Peters magic and take yet another Oakland kid from Washington in Kevin King.
• Who I want: Reuben Foster. No question. I know everyone’s clamoring for a quarterback, but Foster is no joke. This guy looks like he’s downhill skiing when he plays. The field is tilted for him, and he’s addicted to making heavy contact. Plus, having a year or two with DJ and Foster roaming the middle wouldn’t suck, either. This would be another example of the Chiefs defense “passing of the torch” from guys like Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson, to the likes of Chris Jones, Marcus Peters and (if I had anything to say about it), Reuben Foster.
• My selfish daydream pick: John Ross. Because the only thing better than having a guy with 4.2 speed is having two guys with 4.2 speed. I can’t even imagine what defenses would do to contain Hill and Ross. What I do know is that Arrowhead would have to start carding people at the door, because every defense headed into that place would be topless.

Laddie Morse

•  My prediction: DT Malik McDowell isn’t a 1-technique defensive tackle but if he falls in John Dorsey’s lap I think he takes him and inserts him on passing downs, instead of Bennie Logan, and walks away with another D-line prize two years running. If not McDowell, then it’s Takkarist McKinley
•  Who I would pick: QB Deshaun Watson. Even though the QB’s in this draft aren’t top 12 quality, three of them may end up going by then. If Watson falls further than that, Dorsey will likely jump up and make his move.
  
•  Selfish Daydream: Evan Engram. Whoa, for me it’s the vision of Engram and Kelce owning the middle of the field and frustrating every D in the league while setting Tyreek Hill and Jeremy Maclin free to do their damage. If only.
  

There you have it. Now, it’s your turn. So, how about a prediction, a pick, and a daydream. Just Copy-Paste the following into the comments section below and have at it.

• My Prediction: 
• My Personal Pick:
• My Selfish Daydream: