Chiefs For-Real Day One Draft Targets

Laddie Morse

It’s that time of year when Mocks abound and speculation is at an all time high. Especially when it comes to filling the roster. With the NFL draft here in Kansas City beginning three weeks from this coming Thursday, it’s time to get down to brass tacks. With the first pick in this coming draft the Chiefs will in all likelihood take either, an EDGE Rusher, an Offensive Tackle, or a Wide Receiver. So, let’s take a look at some recent popular mock drafts and who might be available at those three+ positions.

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Deonte Banks, CB

ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum mocked a CB to the Chiefs in round one: Deonte Banks out of the University of Maryland. Tannenbaum said of Banks:

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“The Chiefs performed well against the pass last year, allowing the seventh-fewest yards per pass attempt at 6.7. And they loaded up at cornerback in the 2022 draft, selecting Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson. But I don’t think Kansas City could pass on the value of Banks, especially with L’Jarius Sneed in the last year of his deal. Banks performed well at the combine and allowed 20 completions last year. He has all the makings of a future starting corner. And you can never have enough of those, especially in the AFC West.”

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Mike Tannenbaum has NFL experience in team’s personnel departments and has previously worked for the Browns, the Saints, the Jets and the Dolphins, However, he seems to have missed the boat with regards to where the Chiefs are at with the top priority needs. I have my serious doubts that K.C. will be selecting a CB, even of Deonte Banks caliber, in the first round for the second year in a row. If the’s there in the second round… maybe.

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ESPN – Photo Credit

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Will McDonald IV, EDGE Rusher

Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports has the Chiefs trading with the New York Giants and then taking an EDGE Rusher: Will McDonald IV. Trapasso says of this pick:

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“Kansas City doesn’t have a litany of holes, but outside pass-rusher is one of them. The Chiefs get aggressive and make sure the explosive and bendy McDonald is rushing on the same line as Chris Jones. In this trade, the Giants get the Chiefs’ third-round pick (No. 95).”

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Picking an EDGE Rusher for the Chiefs first pick has become a popular theme. If McDonald IV is there, then I can see Veach pulling the trigger on this pick. McDonald is 6-foot-3 and weighs 239 pounds, the approximate size of Frank Clark. McDonald IV, out of Iowa State, a speed rusher which does jive with what K.C. needs on the opposite side from George Karlaftis, a first round pick last season. When GM Brett Veach sets out to fix a position… like DE… he usually gets the job done in one offseason. The DE/EDGE Rusher/DL-5 Tech… is a little bit tougher to nail down. If McDonald IV is there, I can see Veach adding him to the Kingdom.

ESPN – Photo Credit

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Jaelyn Duncan, OT

Walter Football mocked OT Jaelyn Duncan to the Chiefs at #31 and said:

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“The Chiefs replaced Orlando Brown with Jawaan Taylor, but they suddenly have a big hole at right tackle that they will need to fill. Jaelyn Duncan “the Tall” is a team captain who showed some solid athleticism.”

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Duncan is 6-foot-6, 306 and played for the University of Maryland out of the Big Ten. He is ranked the 87th best prospect by DrafTek and the 63rd best prospect by CBS Sports while both of those ranking services have Duncan as the 9th best Tackle overall. Unless Veach and Co. have fallen in love with Duncan’s personality (persona)… I seriously doubt he’ll be the pick… not in the first round anyway.

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ESPN – Photo Credit

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Jalin Hyatt, WR

Chad Reuter of NFL.com has the Chiefs trading with the Baltimore Ravens for their 22nd overall pick and then taking WR Jalin Hyatt. Hyatt is 6-foot-0 and weighs 176 lbs. and DrafTek has him ranked as the 59th best overall prospect and the 5th best wideout. While, CBS Sports has Hyatt ranked as the 47th best prospect and the 7th best wideout. Chad Reuter has this to say about Hyatt and the proposed trade:

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“Opinions are mixed about Hyatt’s ability to become a true No. 1 receiver in the NFL, but the Chiefs’ offense will play to his strengths: gliding past defenders in the open field and weaving through traffic to make short passes into long gains. The Ravens dealt second- and fifth-round picks to the Bears for linebacker Roquan Smith last fall, so adding a third- and fourth-rounder from the Chiefs in this trade will help build depth.”

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While the Chiefs do have other pressing needs, I’d be excited to see what Hyatt (out of Tennessee) can do in the Chiefs offense. I am still holding out that the Chiefs sign a big name WR prior to the draft making the need to draft WR less important. I still think that’s Veach’s intent… to sign a WR and make it appear he is less WR-needy. Hyatt in this offense would be a boon to both Hyatt and the Chiefs offense. I still think Skyy Moore will take a huge step up this year, as will Kadarius Toney… if he can stay healthy.

ESPN – Photo Credit

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Will McDonald IV, EDGE Rusher

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has the Chiefs staying put at #31 and taking EDGE Rusher Will McDonald out of Iowa State in his 3.0 Mock. Here’s what he has to say about this pick for K.C.:

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“McDonald is an elite bender coming off the edge. The Chiefs moved on from Frank Clark this offseason and need to add more firepower to their pass rush.”

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Short and sweet, Jeremiah gets right to the point. Daniel Jeremiah is one of the national analysts I trust most… if any of them can be trusted… but it’s now no secret that Jeremiah has tapped into the Chiefs greatest needs as has Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports (see above). While K.C. is moving on from Frank Clark this offseason, I’m still holing out hope that Veach finds away to re-sign Carlos Dunlap. Having an experienced hand at DE will help train up any new EDGE Rushers they do bring in and give them time to assimilate into the defensive rotation.

Des Moines Register – Photo Credit

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Brian Branch, Safety

Daniel Jeremiah also has piece on the top 50 prospects. Here’s he has Brian Branch out of Alabama ranked as his 31st best overall prospect. Here’s what Jeremiah has to say about Branch:

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“Branch was a playmaking slot cornerback for the Tide. He is outstanding against the run, quick to key and fill for tackles. He can use his quickness to slip blocks and make plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage, as well. He is also an outstanding blitzer, showing timing and burst to generate pressure. He is fluid in coverage and consistently stays in phase with his man. There are times when he gets out-muscled at the catch point, but he’s rarely out of position. He has taken some reps on the outside, but doesn’t look as comfortable there. He’s just better in the middle of the action. He is excellent on special teams, collecting tackles on kick coverage and possessing the ability to return punts if needed (see: his return TD vs. Louisiana-Monroe). Overall, Branch is an immediate starter at nickel and provides value on all four downs.”

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If for some reason Branch is still on the board, and assuming all the other prospects that Veach has ranked above him are game, I’d hope Veach does the right thing and goes BPA (Best Player Available). That mean, he could end up taking a game breaking, skill shaking, battle tested Safety. The Chiefs haven’t drafted an excellent Safety since Eric Berry was taken 5th overall in the 2010 NFL draft. No, Tyrann Mathieu was not drafted by K.C., but he upheld the tradition of fielding excellence at Safety. So, is Brian Branch a possibility? I’d say definitely yes.

ESPN – Photo Credit

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Tucker Kraft, TE

Tight End Tucker Kraft is out of South Dakota State and is 6-foot-5 and weighs 254 pounds. Here’s what the Scouting Department had to say about him from Bleacher Report who mocked him to the Chiefs this year:

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“At 6’5″ and 254 pounds, Kraft is an excellent athlete for the position. He brings a blend of speed, change of direction and power that you often only see from the league’s elite tight ends. He’s a bit clunky in how he moves right now, which is more a product of playing with an unrefined skill set at a lower level of football than anything else. But he has all the athletic tools to get cleaned up and blossom into a star. Kraft is a nasty blocker, too, which should allow him to get onto the field right away even with Travis Kelce commanding the No. 1 TE role in Kansas City.”

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This may be an excellent draft for Tight Ends, depth wise, it still doesn’t have that breakout top line TE. It’s hard for me to see K.C. expending their number one pick in the draft on a tight end. No matter how good they are. DraftBuzz.com has Tucker Kraft ranked as the 5th best overall tight end in this class. His knowledge of the route tree, his staying too high in his blocking and problems with his drop rate will all have to be overcome in the bigs. That makes Kraft a risk as the Chiefs number one overall selection and I just don’t see it. Bleacher Report may have their whole Scouting Department in on this selection, but they don’t have me.

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NFL Draft Buzz – Photo Credit

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Keion White, EDGE Rusher

The Ringer has the Chiefs taking EDGE Rusher Keion White with the 31st pick in this draft. Here’s what they had to say about this move:

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“The Chiefs signed Charles Omenihu in free agency but double down on the position here, adding a long, powerful rusher in White. The Yellow Jackets star brings a three-down skill set and can play across the line, giving defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo plenty of options up front.”

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Keion White is out of Georgia Tech and is 6-foot-5 and weighs 285 lbs., the size that Steve Spagnuolo covets in his DL. White also offers flexibility to play inside or or outside which Spags likes to execute in his schemes on a regular basis. White has been utilized in coverage running with RBs down the field. Spags would love that type of athletic ability. Some will be interested to know Keion White once was a two-way player also playing the Tight End position. White spent the first three years of his college career at Old Dominion and the last two at Georgia Tech. White timed at 4.65 for the 40-yard dash, which is excellent for a man his size. If Keion White is available at pick #31, he’d be one of my favorite possibilities.

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Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE Rusher

Cynthia Frelund mocked this Kansas Sate Alum to the Chiefs. Here’s what she said about him, and this pick:

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“Bryan Bresee, Will McDonald and Adetomiwa Adebawore all flag as valuable picks here, too, but Anudike-Uzomah slightly edges them all out. Oh the puns. The former Wildcat ranked eighth in the FBS last year in pass-rush win rate on true pass sets (34%) and seventh in pressure rate (28%), per PFF.”

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Felix Anudike-Uzomah has been the kind of player the Chiefs like to draft. If they take him I’ll not be surprised at all. On the flip side… another eDGE prospect… Adetomiwa Adebawore… is only 6-foot-2 tall and I’m afraid that’s not in line with Spagnuolo’s thinking or specifications. While Felix Anudike-Uzomah is only an inch taller, he brings loads of speed and 25.5 TFLs (tackles for a loss) spread out over the past two years to go along with 19.5 sacks during that same span. Below, you can get a feel for his speed:

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Dawand Jones, OT

Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports has the Chiefs drafting Dawand Jones, a huge Offensive Tackle. DJ is 6-foot-8 and weighs 375 lbs.. That’s right… 375 pounds (that’s 30 pounds more than Dontari Poe weighed when he was drafted). David Bell has researched Dawand Jones and his take is that he’s too slow of foot to be helpful of effective for the Chiefs. Here’s what Ryan Wilson writes about DJ:

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“Opposing Big Ten defenses were often more concerned with Dawand Jones than his linemate, Paris Johnson Jr., who will be one of the first OTs drafted. Jones only participated in one practice at the Senior Bowl in January, but he was the best player on the field and it may not have been particularly close. If he can control his weight and remain focused on football, he could be a special player because of his size and athleticism. Enormous, even by Power 5 offensive tackle standards (6-8, 375 and 36.5-inch arms).”

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I’m a fan of several other Offensive Tackles in this draft. However, unless one of the good ones drops to the mid-twenties during the first night of the draft, I’d expect Brett Veach to stay put at #31 and take a player at a different position. DrafTek has Dawand Jones ranked as the 78th best overall prospect and the 8th best Offensive Tackle in this draft. CBS Sports has him at 36th overall with him ranked as the 6th best Offensive Tackle. CBS Sports and Ryan Wilson also indicates that Dawand Jones is not the best in space, which means he may have problems with pull-blocking. Also, he may have a balance issue and a problem with faster edge rushers. The question is… who would not be faster? BTW, DJ runs a 5.35 40.

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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

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