Chiefs 2021 Draft Picks a Huge Positive

The 2021 NFL Draft is complete and the Kansas City Chiefs GM, Brett Veach, did such a good job he;s left very sew questions unanswered. Here’s a look at teh Chief 2021 take:

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R2: #58  – Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri

R2: #63  – Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma

R4: #144 – Joshua Kaindoh, DE, Florida State 

R5: #162  – Noah Gray, TE, Duke

R5: #181  – Cornell Powell, WR, Clemson

R6: #226  – Trey Smith, OG, Tennessee

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Add to that list the giant of a man Veach traded for 9 days ago, Orlando Brown, and you have an almost perfect offseason of filling holes with players who not only met a need, but wildly surpass expectations. Let’s examine each Chiefs 2021 draft pick.

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LT Orlando Brown – Brown will not only be an excellent LT for K.C., but he was traded for a first round pick this year, as well as other considerations, and Veach got a second round pick back and he used that to take a player at another position of need, linebacker.

LB Nick Bolton – This is the one player I have questions about. He’s a tough, run defender who is a down and dirty middle linebacker who can move outside and take snaps away from Ben Niemann. However, I don’t know if he’s big enough at 6-foot-0, 235, to withstand the weekly pounding the NFL will hand out. Plus, he’s not as fast as others who were available. In the end, I trust Veach and his scouts so Bolton should become Hitchens eventual replacement and since he’s good in coverage be the primary 3rd LB by midseason, playing next to WIllie Gay and Anthony Hitchens. His presence will also allow DC Steve Spagnuolo to keep his defense in the 4-3 alignment more often, and that’s a very good thing.

OC Creed Humphrey – Humphrey was the best Center in the draft this year and knowing what we know now about the middle of he Chiefs OL during the most recent SB, Humphrey should be a huge upgrade and pair with Patrick Mahomes for years to come. Humphrey is a first round talent and gives Andy Reid a mountain of a man in the middle at 6-foot-5 and 320 lbs. (remember Austin Reiter was 6-foot-3 and 300 lbs.) and give K.C. the snowplow they’ve been looking for since Rodney Hudson left town. Creed Humphrey has All Pro potential.

ER Joshua Kaindoh – With Tanoh Kpassagnon leaving town this offseason, the Chiefs have been wanting a developmental DE to replace him with and got one even better at pick 144 (KPass was a 2nd round pick in 2017, pick 59). Kaindoh has more upside, as it turns out, than KPass ever did, and he will likely take over for Taco Charlton by seasons end. He has the big body Spags and Dl Line Coach, Brendan Daly, likes at, 6-foot-7, 270 lbs.. Pairing Kaindoh with Frank Clark, Jarran Reed, and Chris Jones will give K.C. one of the better defensive lines in the NFL before all is said and done.

TE Noah Gray – Gray is someone I didn’t watch film on this year prior to the draft, thinking that the TE position was one the Chiefs already had plenty of players at. How wrong I was. Gray actually has the skills to take over for Travis Kelce — eventually — and should fit into Andy Reid’s scheme immediately. Like Kelce, Gray was a high school QB. Tony Pauline says of Gray:

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One-time highly rated tight end who is smooth releasing off the line of scrimmage, runs solid routes, and separates from opponents out of breaks. Displays good awareness, finds the soft spot in the defense, and extends his hands to make the reception away from his frame. Smooth, fluid, and nicely adjusts to the errant throw.

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WR Cornell Powell – Brett veach likes to find guys who once had the potential be be a first or second round pick, then get them if he can. Powell appears to be one of those WRs. He had an ACL early in his collegiate career then came back strong and was ranked lower because of it. Advantage Chiefs. Powell has more upside than Mecole Hardman and certainly more than Demarcus Robinson and he could end up the X possession receiver David Bell has been talking about.

OG Trey Smith – Smith cones out of Tennessee and has been a solid Guard during an offseason when the Chiefs have already bolstered their IOL. He may be coming to K.C. at the right time though, because he’ll get to learn behind LDT, Kyle Long, and Joe Thuney. Not a bad way to break into the league. I don’t see him as an immediate starter but at 6-foot-6 and 330 lbs. but he’s got the typical Reid body. Joe Marino of The Draft Network says Smith is, “a massive and powerful people-mover” so if he gets his feet and hips right, he should become another piece for Reid to employ inside when needed.

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Let me know what you think about the Chiefs draft.

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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

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