By The Bye:
Chiefs Takeaways From MNF,
Plus a Mock Draft
by Ransom Hawthorne | November 22, 2018
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
The Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Los Angeles Rams, but did so without embarrassing themselves. That’s important, because Chiefs need to relax this week, not brood over what might have been. Leave that to the fans. The rest is much needed. A week 8 bye is generally ideal, and Chiefs are long past that. With LDT, Mitch Morse and Eric Berry, waiting in the wings, the Chiefs have the potential to get much, much better. Given that they lost by only three points, despite repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot, that should be a very good thing. With the closest game on the horizon a snooze fest — against the Raiders — in two weeks, I thought now might be a good time to get in an early mock draft, but first, what we learned from the Rams game?
Pass Rush is Still King: In a game with very little defense, almost all the big plays were made by the big men. Aaron Donald, Samson Ebukam, Justin Houston, Chris Jones, those are the type of guys you need to win, in today’s NFL. The 2019 draft is shaping up to be stuffed with them and Chiefs will have an extra 2nd round pick. The decision to let go of Marcus Peters looks better and better. Yeah, he got an interception, but it was the “right place at the right time”, on a deflected pass, variety. Peters isn’t a bad CB, but he’s certainly looked closer to average than elite.
Mahomes is a Real, Human, QB: For a “rookie” QB, Mahomes hasn’t just been great, he’s been super-human. Against the Rams, he finally reminded us that this is his first year starting, in the NFL. Mistakes are going to happen. For once, it seems like Chiefs fans actually get that, and aren’t losing it over one bad game. That, in and of itself, might be Mahomes most amazing accomplishment to date. After all, the devoted followers of the Red and Gold tend to panic at the first sign of danger.
CB Is Still An Issue: When the best coach in the NFL looks at your trash run defense, and decides to throw for over 400 yards instead, it’s time to take notice. As good as Scandrick has been, this was a rough game for him. The Chiefs finally look like they have a difference making pass rush, but it won’t do them any good if their DBs can’t cover for three seconds. I don’t know what Sutton is seeing from Chardavius Ward and Tremon Smith on the scout team, but I’d like to start seeing a little more of them on the field, if at all possible.
November 22nd, The Mock Draft:
Last time the Chiefs took a risk on a DL from Mississippi State it worked out pretty well (Chris Jones). If they get the chance, they should do that again. Jeffery Simmons is a disruptive interior defender who can get after the QB. Those guys are worth their weight in gold, in today’s NFL. Picking at, or near, the bottom of the first round, the Chiefs can lock up a great pass rusher, in a deep class, on the cheap, for the next five years.
Kendall Sheffield isn’t the biggest CB, but he’s got blazing speed. Something the Chiefs lack, and leads to pass interference calls. He’s got two interceptions on the year, to go with 6 pass breakups and 17 tackles. As a replacement for Scandrick, Chiefs can’t go wrong with adding another Kendall to the DB group.
TE Zach Gentry is a big man. At 6’7” and 262 lbs, he’s an imposing figure, on the football field and an impressive athlete to boot. Gentry was a QB in high-school, and his blocking is still a work in progress, but, as a receiver, he’s a serious mismatch weapon who looks to run good routes. Averaging 14.8 yards per catch, and coming from an NFL style offense, Gentry could provide Chiefs with a great possession receiver, early in his career, and provide a viable replacement, for Kelce, when the time comes.
Mitch Morse needs to retire. He’s an excellent center, but those concussions are starting to add up. Whoever K.C. selects to replace him will have big shoes to fill. Erik McCoy is a really good fit for Chiefs scheme. He’ll need to gain some strength, in the NFL, but he’s a plus athlete and a good enough fit for Chiefs ZBS, that he should be able to start right away, if necessary.
Isaiah Johnson is still learning the nuances of the position, having started his career at WR, but the early signs are promising. He’s the type of big, long, CB that Chiefs have been missing since Sean Smith left. With modern TEs, you need some of those guys. Johnson is getting better, and his athleticism gives him a great ceiling. Could get in on some package plays, but will probably start his career on Toub’s units and acquit himself well there.
Emmanuel Hall is a big time risk, but, in the 6th round, you can’t win if you don’t play. Hall is a special athlete and a good sized receiver, but sometimes doesn’t look like he cares about football that much. If a paycheck, and Chiefs’ coaching staff can get through to him, he could turn into an excellent WR, but to win their trust, he’ll have to try hard on STs. Personally I’d rather take a shot on a potential starter, in the 6th, than take some guy who’ll just wind up on the practice squad.
In another year, Anthony Nelson probably goes higher, but this year is loaded with edge talent. I think he’s probably a 4th round value. Not a special athlete, but he’s a strong, smart player, and gives full effort. Chiefs could use a young Zombo-like player and he can be a quality addition to the locker room.
While Jacques Patrick is a guy you could experiment with, as an H-Back (6’2” 234 lbs), his size and athleticism intrigue me as a potential convert to ILB. Teams have had some success converting WRs to CBs, and with the lack of talent, at LB, in this draft, Chiefs might do well to snag a guy who’s a good athlete for the position, and give him a shot. This, of course, requires Patrick to be willing to make the switch, but considering what Fullbacks make, in the NFL, these days, that might not be too hard of a sell.
Chiefs Future is Bright: the K.C. pass rush is coming together, and several key additions seem to be on the horizon. In a year (2019) where the Chiefs have an extra pick, the draft just happens to be looking really good. The potential for success both now, and in the future, is off the charts. Of course, to realize that potential, they’ll have to stop making careless mistakes. Chiefs fans have dealt with too much heartbreak, over the years, to truly trust this team, but Mahomes is breaking records, this year, no reason to believe the next thing he breaks can’t be the curse. Whether it’s now, or next year, I look forward to seeing it. Go Chiefs.
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