Chiefly Bacon’s Lazy Big Board: Cornerback

This was the position I was the most excited to review. This draft is jam-packed with good CBs. If Dorsey drafted three of them, I wouldn’t raise an eyebrow. From nickel backs to imposing outside press CBs, this draft has a little bit of everything and a lot of guys who fit the Chiefs scheme well. The hardest part was picking which guy to grab in each round. There are multiple options who make sense in some spots, but, due to time constraints, I tried to stick to one at each pick. Here’s what I came up with:

Pick 27 CB Kevin King 6’3” 200lbs

Some boards have Kevin King lower, but I don’t buy it. He has incredible speed and agility for a guy with his length. His tackling technique is bad and needs work. Really likes to dive at people rather than wrap up. He’s kind of stringy and not super physical, but he’s very willing to be the first guy there. He’s very versatile, has played all three CB spots and FS. Has good hands for interceptions. Ridiculous vertical, coupled with his unusual height for a CB, make him a great choice to cover TEs and will force QBs to have excellent ball placement to stay out of his range. Great in the red-zone. Has only allowed 1 TD in his last 101 targets. King’s unique size and special athleticism make him a great fit for Bob Sutton’s defense. He should get some reps early in goal line situations. If he can pack on a few pounds, without losing what makes him special, Chiefs could have another Sean Smith on their hands. Maybe even better. That 20 yard shuttle time is INSANE for a guy his size. I’d love to see what Al Harris could do with him.

Pick 59 CB Sidney Jones 6′ 186lbs

Jones ruptured his Achilles and I still had to fight the urge to put him in the first round. Incredible ball skills combined with elite football IQ makes Jones a shoe in for Chiefs other CB spot. He’s not just compared to Marcus Peters, he works out with him. When Chiefs are trying to keep their pro-bowl CB around in a few years, having a good friend on the roster sweetens the deal. On the flip-side, Jones has the skills to be almost as good as Peters. Only thing holding him back is his size. If Chiefs drafted him in the first round, I would still lose it. This guy is a truly exciting player.

Pick 91 CB Ahkello Witherspoon 6′3” 198lbs

If Chiefs miss out on Kevin King, Witherspoon would be a nice consolation prize. He possesses a lot of the same skills and aptitudes, but isn’t quite as far along in his development. Great fit for Chiefs scheme, plays smart and has the loose hips you look for in a CB. While he needs to be more physical, Witherspoon is an easy guy to project to #2 CB in a year or two.

Pick 104 CB Shaquill Griffin 6‘ 194lbs

Small school CB with an impressive combine workout. Plays with aggression and has good hands. Fluid athlete and experienced in press coverage. Top speed might not be what you think, given his 40-time. His acceleration is special though. Lacks ideal instincts which causes him to play slower than his workout shows. If Chiefs can coach him up a little bit, Griffin could be a fantastic fit for Bob Sutton’s D.

Pick 132 CB Howard Wilson 6′1” 184lbs

Interception magnet. Had five last year and it’s been a part of his game since high school. Tore his ACL in 2015, but seems to have bounced back well. Not as well developed in his technique as other CBs, still a bit raw, but with the necessary athletic traits to play CB at a high level. Boom or bust in coverage right now, but with a little refinement, he could be a turnover machine and Chiefs have the perfect people to teach him.

Pick 170 CB Damonte Kazee 5′10” 184lbs

Kazee is a popular sleeper pick at CB. Most likely due to his insane interception totals. He had seven last year and eight the year before that. The reason I think he’ll still be available this late is that he lacks ideal size and speed for the NFL. CBs shorter than 5’11” tend to drop a bit and Kazee also only logged a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash. His talents showed up big time at the small school level, but teams won’t know what they have in him till he hits the field. Kazee can be a nice depth piece at CB who can start and succeed with safety help.

Pick 180 CB Des Lawrence 6′ 188lbs

Lawrence is not a ball hawk. He had no interceptions last year, and only three the previous two years combined. He’s also not an elite athlete. That said, Lawrence plays with solid technique. He can do well in zone or press. While he’s unlikely to earn a starting role, Lawrence could be a good depth player to have around. (No Workout)

Pick 216 or 218 CB Jeremy Clark 6′3” 220lbs

Clark is coming off an ACL tear and lacks the fluidity Chiefs like in CBs. However, he has big size and length and pretty solid straight line speed. This late in the draft, you look for guys who can play STs and have some developmental upside. Clark fits the bill. If he can develop his technique, he has the potential to develop into an average starter at CB, or a perhaps a good SS. (20 Reps In The Bench No Other Workout)

Pick 245 CB Nate Hairston 6′ 196lbs

Former WR with a physical frame. Recent convert to CB. Needs a lot of work on his technique, but has the hips to play CB. In the seventh round, you look for players who aren’t fully developed. Hairston has only played CB for two years. He’s going to get better. While Hairston lacks elite speed, he’s a solid athlete who can play STs while Al Harris and Emmit Thomas mold him into a solid DB.

Chiefs have enough starters at CB for this year, but Terrance Mitchell only has one year of solid production under his belt. He’s also in the final year of his contract, as is Philip Gaines. This would be a great year for Chiefs to load up on CBs, both because of the draft and cap concerns going forward. A mid to late round addition could pay off in the future, while a high round pick could make Chiefs pass defense even more impenetrable.