Chiefs: Getting Your “Supplement” Today?

Chiefs: Getting Your “Supplement” Today?

by David Bell

The NFL Supplemental Draft begins at 12:00, Noon today, CDT.

I know and you know that at a certain time, the body needs a boost with minerals and vitamins and the like. For the Kansas City Chiefs, as was pointed out in a previous article, the Chiefs still have exposures for the position of safety and Cornerback. One proposal of mine is that Armani Watts, a drafted rookie in the mid-rounds, is actually the heir apparent to the starting free safety position, that he really is a round two talent and the drawbacks that allowed him to be taken by the Chiefs in the fourth round was the result of some hype that appeared to be passed around the pundit and scouting community. Watt does indeed have talent and I indicated that he could take over the position part way in the season if not out of the barn for the Chiefs league opener. I am proposing that the area of need and the talent level of players in the NFL Supplemental Draft today, is narrowed from four to two players: CBs Adonis Alexander and Sam Beal, with focus upon Beal.

The Need at Cornerback

Yes, the Chiefs lost a ball hawk in CB Marcus Peters but received a bonus back from the Alex Smith Trade with Kendall Fuller’s arrival. K.C. DB coach Al Harris indicated that Fuller’s best role was out of the slot and that is where the Chiefs plan to use him. This would mean Chiefs veteran CB Steve Nelson, who is under-valued for outside duty can play the position, mirror and trail and has good SAQ ratings. Nelson is thus, anticipated to be one of two outside corners for 2018. Veach also has acquired CB David Amerson, a Free Agent of the Raiders. Why Amerson’s departure from Oakland is not full known, what is known is their new defense planned last year to deploy a lot more zone coverages, and Amerson was not a fit. He is at K.C.. Keep this in mind when considering the following two cornerbacks in the NFL Supplemental Draft. With the Chiefs using Cover “1” as a base coverage scheme, Amerson’s fit for Sutton’s defense is direct and applicable immediately. Fuller’s skill inside is a know factor with the same strength.

In an article I worked up just last week for ArrowheadOne, I provided evaluations of each player of the secondary and there are good possibilities with rookies and UDFA’s as well. For our purpose, CB Sam Beal out of Western Michigan is the top pick available.

Al Harris, Chiefs Secondary Coach told media that he had informed newcomers Fuller and Amerson that this was what the Chiefs would use for their cornerbacks, so expect Cover “1” or Cover “0” (inside the 10 or inside the 5 for example). These two deployments are going to be used for a predominate number of snaps when an aerial defense is expected. Cover “1” is a single high Safety with Press/Man coverage by all the other DBs.

When a Nickel hybrid is added, he is up in the box via “Cover 0.” You are expecting single high coverage from a single safety and the other safety is deployed to read and react to coverage or run support. This is where Eric Berry excels. The single high Safety would be deployed and all other DBs would match up in Press/Cover – single man coverage in the latter. What the Chiefs could not effectively do without Eric Berry is either Cover “0.”

Sam Beal: Western Michigan

Sam Beal has the talent that is a direct link up with how the Chiefs play defense against the pass with ‘Press-Man’ coverage and according to one player evaluator/scout and pundit, second only to Mike Hughes (30th pick in the 2018 draft) in talent in this regard. When other outlets have evaluated talent for the 2018 draft, including Beal, he was given an overall 3rd round rating and he wasn’t entering the draft. How I see Beal? I think he is a late round 2 talent for 2018 because he is a press man cover type defender.

Metrics from his Pro Day: 4.47 – 40, 37″ vertical, 10’6″ broad jump. Those numbers would have ranked him as the #6 player at the combine according to Sporting news. His unofficial times were found in a tweet by WMU Football.

• Age: 21 (August 30, 1996)
• Height: 6’1”
• Weight: 185 lbs.

WMU Tweet from the Pro Day

WMU Football‏Verified account @WMU_Football

Now? The Hard Part

If the Chiefs have weaknesses that we were discussing in articles at ArrowheadOne.com, and in various commentary and concerns by authors and observers, it was that the Chiefs secondary needed immediate help for 2 or 3 players. The return of Eric Berry solidifies the back end of the defense and adds to the knowledge base and on the field coaching in a way that few players can provide. If Kendall Fuller is a total solution to inside cornerback (the Nickel CB), then the need for solid fill for the two outside positions remains a concern.

At this point, the Chiefs have veterans Steven Nelson and David Amerson apparently slotted for the two starting roles and the Chiefs have a lot of potential in young players present. If the draft were different and Beal was in the draft, how would Veach look at him? The cost? Veach would give up “X” in the 2019 to select Sam Beal. Beal would have to be judged to be a 2018″X” round player who is coming late to the show. Still, if Beal is a true round 2 pick? That’s a heck of a good choice and you are getting him a year before the pick you are giving up next year. It’s true, the Chiefs have very good prospects added to the stable. Tremon Smith of Central Arkansas might be such a player or one of the UDFA’s. But now comes today’s fun stuff. The “What Ifs?”

 “What If They Give a Number One”

I’m going a step farther: WHAT IF #1 — what If Sam Beal, according to Chiefs Scouting and evaluation, film study and so on, possesses high round two ratings for Press Man Coverage, enough to make him a 2018 – 2nd round type talent? This is a “starting quality” evaluation that the Chiefs would have acted upon in the draft had Beal been available. A caveat to that is that they would still have drafted Speaks but looked for Beal in the 3rd round. Or even been willing to try to trade up for a second round pick should the opportunity have presented itself.

From various scouting evaluations in the scouting community: he was looking to rise to round 2 level — or higher — for the 2019 draft,  So, his press/man cover ability puts him as a round 2 draft prospect for the Chiefs? This is the “What If” which Veach must be considering.

Sam Beal has no “Red Flags” of behavior. If he can fulfill in his first year with the Chiefs and begin to overtake the veterans in terms of the starting role, or for example, sharing more and more snaps as the season progresses? That scenario must be considered. This would be the same as having had a second round CB pick in 2018’s draft, sans the Rookie Camp and OTA’s.

“What If They Give a Number Two”

The second “What If” follows the same logic. The player is a target of the Chiefs. He has been studied inside and out and the Chiefs evaluators feel he is under-rated for 2018? Now then, what does Veach do? How high a draft pick on such a selection will Veach be willing to offer? Is Beal a true press/man cover player at the 2nd round level, now? Or how about the 3rd round?

A couple of Weeks ago, Ladner Morse did an article on the Supplemental Draft, you can review that article –> here: Ladner Morse commented about selecting Beal — and this is my view as well. He wrote: 

“If they go after Beal, perhaps it only means… they think Beal has talent they couldn’t pass on.”

Arrowhead Pride has taken on the task and gave Beal, via a Kent Swanson article, a ranking of the 63rd best player on his draft list.

My own view is that Beal is indeed one of those special talents and Veach should pursue bidding on him early enough to take him.

In his piece called, “Not so fast: Chiefs might not be finished drafting players for 2018,” Blair Kerkhoff gives us a general overview of this year’s Supplemental draft in the KCStar.

“The consensus top prospect on Wednesday is Sam Beal, a cornerback from Western Michigan…. The other top prospect is Adonis Alexander, a 6-3, 195-pound cornerback from Virginia Tech…. Others in the supplemental draft are Mississippi State safety Brandon Bryant, Oregon State linebacker Bright Ugwoegbu and Grand Valley State running back Marty Carter.”

You can see Terez Paylor’s piece on CB Adonis Alexander –> here.

For a view of all five players by Sporting News, go –> here:

In Conclusion, Finally, At Last, Over-all?

The question is: “What if #1 is true?” At least I got your heart pumping and the day started. That’s “good heart medicine.”

David Bell – ArrowheadOne – A Lead Feature Writer

Late Editor’s Update: there exists the story that John Dorsey, with the Browns, likes CB Sam Beal enough to take him with the first pick of the second round in the Supplemental Draft, thereby making it necessary for any other team that wishes to draft him to have to give up a 1st round pick. I seriously doubt anyone will be that bold, not even Brett Veach. Let the games begin. -Laddie Morse

Late Editor’s Update #2: the K.C.Star has finally filled the vast void and vacancy that Terez Paylor’s departure created by hiring two new Chiefs beat writers: Brooke Pryor and Lynn Worthy. You can follow them on Twitter by going,

Here for –> Brooke Pryor, and

Here for –> Lynn Worthy.

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