Chiefs: A 1st Round Anti-Mock
by Laddie Morse | March 25, 2019
If you’re as tired of reading Mocks as I am… then you’re probably not a real football fan because I can’t get enough of them. However, it may seem easier to think about what will actually happen on draft day by looking at the draft differently. In this case, I’m referring to the players that get taken prior to the time the Chiefs pick… or looking at all the players that the Chiefs will have to choose from. So, instead of offering you my own draft picks… or in this case a single pick in the first round, I’ll give you some alternatives: players taken before the Chiefs pick so we can see how difficult it may be to move up in the draft — should GM Brett Veach choose to do so — as well as taking a look at a myriad of prospects who could be the Chiefs first choice at #29.
Let’s begin by going through First-Pick.com to see who they offer at #29, when it’s the Chiefs turn to send a card to the Commissioner. The following list is fairly typical so we’ll use this to decide who can be taken. Each time you go through the process of making a mock at First-Pick they pick all the players for the other teams, then give you a list of possible choices, not as long a list as FanSpeak, which lists all the rest of the players in the draft. Here’s the list from First-Pick:
What I’ve done to this list is highlight the players I believe the Chiefs would be most likely to take at #29. Instead of giving you a mock and picking from that list, let’s consider some of them together. First of all, there are about 7 Seniors I highlighted who make this list and I point that out because having more experience in college means a lot to Andy Reid and Brett Veach so they should be considered as first possibilities.
It should be noted that a facet of performing a mocks that is always lacking is… the face-to-face interaction and personal knowledge of the prospect which comes from those meeting that the Chiefs have with them. Without knowing what the team thinks of a prospect personally it’s really impossible to do a genuine mock which means anything. On the other hand, since we do know that the “type” of player the Chiefs are looking for includes players with sound judgement off the field as well as on the field, they likely won’t be going for any prospects who have questionable behavior this year. One of those prospects is Jeffrey Simmons who left school at one point and there’s a viral video of him striking a woman named Sophia Taylor. With the problems the Chiefs have had in recent months with Kareem Hunt (and another player not herein named) it doesn’t seem probable that they will be drafting a player with their very first pick who they will have to explain away in their introductory media event as… having “thoroughly vetted” him.
That may also open the door for a player like CB Amani Oruwariye. Why, simply because he goes to Penn State. Now, I understand those who may think that the Jerry Sandusky trial and ordeal has left to long a shadow over that University but there could nothing further from the truth. Penn State continues to turn out fine upstanding young people who are raised on the premise of “Make Life Better” (their motto) with high moral and ethical standards. If the Chiefs are feeling that Oruwariye and another prospect are on the same level… it may be a “tie goes to the runner” situation with their association to Penn State winning out.
If the Chiefs decide to go for a Safety with their first pick, there are four of them here to choose from: Johnathan Abram, Nasir Adderley, Taylor Rapp, and Deionte Thompson. I don’t often see CB Byrom Murphy from Washington available for mocking at pick #29 and if he was there, I think he may be the Chiefs first pick. You may recall that Brett Veach has revealed that he sees the draft in tiers, 1-through-10, 10-through-20, 20-through-30… and so on. So, the question then becomes who does he see as a 20-to-30 guy that could be available to the Chiefs at #29? That guy might be Byron Murphy.
Then, there are the 10-to-20 guys… and where they might fall.
Of course we don’t know who Brett Veach will end up coveting but, we do know the Chiefs are in need of an upgrade at ILB, especially since they’re going to a 43 defense as their base in 2019. Consequently, if Devin White fell to #15 or #16 and became available there, could Veach pull the trigger on a potential trade up? I’m sure it will be talked about, at least.
I can see the wisdom in several of these picks made by First-Pick. The Redskins need a new QB so Lock could be their guy. I’ve seen Brian Burns mocked to the Panthers there many time previously. The Giants have an earlier pick so if Devin White is there at #17, he makes sense for them. The Chiefs have had a trade relationship with the Redskins before so, they seem like the most possible partner to make a deal with.
To get Washington’s pick, the Chiefs would have to give up: their 1st this year, a 2nd this year, and a 2nd next year. To get that far up might even take more than that and if it does then, I’m out. However, if the Chiefs could get Devin White with a 1st, 2nd, and another 2nd, I’d be alright with that because Devin White is a game changer. He’s that good. The run defense would be instantly much, much improved and he can cover as well, so there’s nothing to dislike about that deal except… the Chief have a few more needs to fill this offseason and trading up means giving picks away. However, I won’t be surprised to see something like this take place four weeks from Thursday evening.
Moving up to pick #21 to trade with Seattle so the Chiefs can acquire Devin Bush might take almost as much draft capital. Bush would also be an instant upgrade so I won’t be unhappy to see this one either.
What do you think Chiefs fans? Any new revelations about what you’d like to see happen when the draft rolls around?
Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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