Chiefs Draft Analysis: RB, TE, WR, QB and Specialists – the Chiefs have already turned to the “NFL: Get a Guy Agency” and signed players who are free agents, while the focus is on retaining as many players as possible from the Championship roster. From my previous articles and this one, emerges a need to target three primary positions in the draft. The positions covered here are not a top three draft need but do have reasoning for drafting players to those positions.
The overall goal here is to provide a glimpse of how the players will form the starter and depth roles and hopefully, this article completes a view of the Chiefs existing roster and adds a “clarification” and “granularity” on how this comes to fruition. Then, we can see how it forms a team which can compete for a place on the field at Tampa in 2021.
Other ArrowheadOne writers, such as Ransom Hawthorn and David Perkins are covering the draft and how to rate players. I suggest that you keep up with this material because it is significant.
My draft order of importance is: LB, CB, OL… and… WR, RB, TE… follow those three top needs. I do regard the exposures at OL as being nearly equal to Linebackers or Cornerbacks and believe GM Brett Veach must address the LB and CB positions with a top draft pick. Both of those prospects must be someone who Veach — and the scouting staff — provides who will fulfill the promise of being a starter (as best as can be accomplished).
I have difficulty making any of the other positions a priority. Let’s take a look at each sequentially and perhaps this time? Ranking them in the order of import for a free agent signings, or a draft picks.
Upgrade or Depth
My first question before I address any of these positions has a framework. Does selecting a player at a position mean that: a) I must replace a current player or, b) is this a pick that I must make during the draft because he is a top player to be selected (and I can’t pass him up)?
Running Back/Fullback
The Chiefs have three players who man the position of RB:
- Damien Williams has proven to be a big play RB and playmaker in the postseason. Damien is the Chiefs feature back and will be in 2020.
- Darrel Williams has been a solid addition.
- Darwin Thompson has shown some flashes when given the opportunity.
- Mike Weber, out of OSU
- Elijah McGuire out of Louisiana-Lafayette
LeSean McCoy didn’t work out for the Chiefs and has departed so… there is at least one player for the role who could be added.
In an offense which uses the aerial game two-thirds of the time, the RB must be capable of possessing attributes that excel in six areas:
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- Speed
- Run vision
- Agility and SAQ – short area quickness
- Pass Protection
- Good Hands
- YAC – yards after catch
All three of the Chiefs top RB’s fare very well in the analysis of those 6 areas that are required.
Note: we’ve not seen enough of Weber or McGuire in NFL Game Action to be able to make a judgement about how they rate.
For the record: the Chiefs do not need to draft a RB. Therefore any pick like that which they make will be categorized as a “Can’t pass this player up” type of selection but, that selection could be one made at any position in the draft. The Chiefs ground game is not the greatest show on turf and so the RB the Chiefs target must be “Multifaceted” and have “Speed” as a requisite.
Turning my attention to the Fullback role: Anthony Sherman (Sausage) plays a very important role. For a FB, Sherman is:
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- Quick
- Tough and Stout (5-foot-10, 242lbs.)
- Excellent in pass protection
- Nifty with his feet
- A good receiver
I judge his ability at the FB role, seldom used in today’s NFL, to be one of the top of players at the position. Maybe the best. I recall watching Curtis McClinton in the heydays of the first, and Chiefs greatest, decade (the 1960s). Sherman exceeds the importance of McClinton to the team.
For depth, John Lovett is one of the most intriguing players the Chiefs have brought on board. Lovett is an emergency sub at QB, slotted for the fullback position, but who can also be called upon to line up in the Tight End position as well. There is no need to address the FB position in the draft.
Tight Ends
The Kansas City Chiefs have Travis Kelce, who will one day enter the HoF. He has had five sequential Pro Bowl Selections. His numbers rival those of WRs in yardage and YAC as well as, Catches per Target. No team could ask for more from the position. Where the question arises at the TE role is: who can be the 2nd TE? A TE #2 who can: block well, be a threat on any down, and get YAC?
Note: both Anthony Sherman and John Lovett have lined at the TE position either in games or in preseason.
The Chiefs have retained tight ends, Deon Yelder and Nick Keizer, who is from Grand Valley State. Both players are young and have a high ceiling. Neither has given us a view of being a solid choice for TE #2. At present, Yelder would be the designated #2 TE. He did show glimpses of being a good receiving TE. He had a one-handed catch last year in the preseason, but otherwise, I’m curious to see how well Keizer does.
I have a solid faith in Brett Veach and Andy Reid and the staff. The Chiefs would not have retained Yelder over Bell if there was no upside anticipated. The same is true for Keizer being on the roster. This gives the Chiefs 3 Tight Ends for the position plus two players who can line up there as well. The Chiefs do need to be able to line up in a 3-TE set occasionally. I don’t believe the Tight End Position needs to be addressed in the draft.
I do think that a player or two needs to be invited to camp. I am not eliminating Veach selecting a TE in the draft, but pointing out it is not a high-need player position. It could be that the Chiefs sign a F/A for the position as well. There are several plausible players available.
Wide Receivers
Again, the position has a potential need because Sammy Watkins, #2 WR, may depart in Free Agency, or a trade. In fact, I think this is very likely. Certainly, I am one of the Chiefs close observers (FAN-atic) and I definitely would like to keep Watkins with the club. However, due to necessity, unless a miracle happens, I cannot see Watkins sticking around especially after news came out this week that Watkins is not interested in a pay cut. Not only this but apparently, the Eagles have an interest in acquiring him. If Sammy departs, the Chiefs should gain $14M in cap space. That’s highly important to the 2020 season.
Are you wondering why I discuss Watkins first? I do this because our #1 WR, and one of the top wideouts in the game Tyreek Hill, is a given factor who creates the target for Mahomes that is a must with tremendous over the top speed and YAC and he is a scoring threat on every snap. Since I now think that Watkins departs, Mecole Hardman, the Chief’s 2nd rounder (first pick of 2019), now moves up, taking on the #2 job. Both Hill and Hardman possess the speed attribute to be over the top receivers. Hardman is still in learning mode for year two but his route running was improving in 2019 and he also provides the top skills needed as a specialist. I can’t see Hardman as anything but a success in 2020.
Byron Pringle and Gehrig Dieter round up the top four WRs. Pringle has shown that he can be a solid receiver and while he still has work to do, he has the strength and length needed to be a compliment to Hill and Hardman. Add Gehrig Dieter as a plausible fourth WR and it looks pretty solid. Dieter, with a solid relationship with Mahomes, is an apparent favorite target.
I can see that the Chiefs do need to make a WR draft selection.
The reason? The Chiefs utilize the aerial game far beyond what has been done historically, even far beyond the good old days of Air Coryell. Yes, I think a Wide Receiver must be a selection of the draft — to feed the needs of the offense (and Andy Reid).
Quarterbacks
The position of QB must be considered during the Reign of Future HoF QB Patrick Mahomes. I could spend an endless amount of words touting Mahomes but, don’t need to and Mahomes likely still starting for the Chiefs 15 years from now. The Chiefs have already decided on Chad Henne as the #2 QB. Henne is already on board with Reid, the playbook and the offense.
Recently the Chiefs added a Free Agent by signing Jordan Ta’amu out of Ole Miss and I do recall seeing a game while he was in college and I was favorably impressed. In 2 seasons Ta’amu threw for 5,600 yards and 30 TD’s. Ta’amu was not taken in the draft but was signed by the Texans but released and later earned some stripes from the XFL, with the St. Louis Battle Hawks. This has value for the near future since the attributes of Ta’Amu mirror those of Pat Mahomes. An added value is that the player can mimic other such players who use their feet and maneuverability in the game such as: Watson, Russell, Jackson and Prescott as examples. This can be a crucial component of game preparation and something that was lacking last season. Ta’amu is not yet listed on the Chief’s official roster.
Add to this threesome Kyle Shurmur who has shown promise at the QB position. He has football heritage as he is the son of former Browns Head Coach, Pat Shurmur. We must wait for camp and preseason to determine if he will be on the active roster or again on the PS. Reid and his staff are known for developing QB talent so it remains a promise of the future. Promising for both Shurmur and Ta’amu.
Specialists
The Chiefs have a top punter in the game, Dustin Colquitt, and place kicker, Harrison Butker, has become on of the top players at his position. James Winchester is a solid Long Snapper.
For PR/KR, Mecole Hardman is backed up by Tyreek Hill. A pair that would compete among the best players at the position in the NFL. I suspect though, that with Hardman moving up to the #2 WR position, the Chiefs will look to replace him with a talented player at another position, such as a CB: a position with a history of being the designated return specialist. With PR/KR backed up by Hardman and Hill, I see no need at all for a draft pick for these roles.
What Will K.C. Do?
If I had to provide a single player in the draft to any of these positions it would be for obtaining a Running Back or a WR, and the latter seeming more important to me. Both positions are crucial offensive components of the Chiefs aerial game. My view is to at least keep the feed going for playmakers at these two positions. TE would follow that for the same reason. Veach must also ferret out from the large number of potential Chiefs players to find the Gems from FAs and UDFAs.
At any of these positions, speed must be a priority — and, that player needs to be a football player with game moxie and the overwhelming desire to play the game of football. Stand by for more.
David Bell — ArrowheadOne
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