AFC West Draft Analysis Kansas City Chiefs Laddie Morse

Chiefs Leverage the Present For the Future in the Draft

LadnerMorse April 30, 2017 No Comments

It was a long draft season. No one I’ve talked to will deny that. That’s what makes the choices that the Kansas City Chiefs have made over the past three days of the 2017 NFL draft even more difficult to reconcile. After years, no, decades, the Chiefs traded multiple picks, including a first-round pick next year, to draft a quarterback of the future. That concept was easy to grasp. What followed from John Dorsey, Andy Reid, Clark Hunt, and their staff, was clearly unclear. The Chiefs began the three-day event with 10 picks and primary needs at Linebacker, Running Back, Nose Tackle, and a quarterback for the future. When all was said and done, they came away with 6 draft picks including one RB, QBOTF, DE, LB, Safety, and a WR. While running back Kareem Hunt should be able to help the offense this season, none of the others appear to be players drafted with the idea that they will help the Chiefs make a push for a championship right away.

 

After losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers by two points in January, Andy Reid and John Dorsey must be feeling that the team is very close to making another push for a Lombardi trophy so they kept more all of their frontline players and they were able to replace NT Dontari Poe with Bennie Logan which may end up being a move that helps to fix the rushing defense. Since then, Defensive lineman Jaye Howard was released a week before the draft and many assumed the Chiefs would take care of adding interior defensive line depth in this draft but, that didn’t happen. Interior defensive line depth may have been the biggest hole in the roster going into the draft and that hole is still there.

 

What’s puzzling is… that Chiefs general manager was able to orchestrate several trades in this draft, apparently moving at will to get the players he wanted. So, now the question is, why didn’t he make one of those brilliant moves to acquire a nose tackle?

 

It appears that 5 out of 6 of these draft picks were not drafted with the idea that they could help this year:

 

QB Patrick Mahomes II- John Dorsey, Andy Reid and Clark Hunt went out of their way this offseason to say, “Alex Smith is our QB” and so it appears that Mahomes is meant to take over once Smith has moved one. Presumably in a year, maybe two. Maybe three. In any event… after Alex Smith is done in K.C.

DE Tanoh Kapassagagon– while it’s reported that Kpass has “freakish tendencies”… that’s code for, he’s a developmental player who we hope will one day be great. Not necessarily a player who will be helping right away. Watch Tanoh Kpassagnon’ Combine workout here.

RB Kareem Hunt- once Hunt learns the playbook, which is easier for RBs than for WRs, he’ll help the Chiefs make their run for history… if there is going to be one this year. Watch Kareem Hunt’s Combine workout here.

WR Jehu Chesson– a 6-foot-3, 196 beanpole wideout who may be able to help in the red zone later in 2017… but maybe not. He also needs some developing. He never gained more than 800 years in a season and appears to be like a Chris Conley-lite and Conley hasn’t exactly lit it up in his first two seasons. Listen to Lance Zierlein talk about Jehu Chesson here.

ILB Ukeme Eligwe– spent time at two different schools and ended up at a small college, Georgia Southern. Andy Reid or the evaluators who recommended Eligwe must ultimate confidence in Reid’s staff to develop these players with potential because that’s what Eligwe is… a player with potential. Listen to Chiefs scout Ryne Nutt talk about Ukeme Eligwe here.

S Leon McQuay III– A 7th round prospect with lots of experience. Perhaps he was grossly misevaluated and he turns out to be a tall (6-foot-2) Eric Berry but his 50 total tackle in his last two years of college say differently. It’s reported that the Chiefs may be looking into McQuay as a nickel or slot corner and perhaps he could help cover some of the taller TEs in the league. Maybe that will work out too. Listen to Chiefs scout Trey Koziol talk about Leon McQuay III here.

 

 

Every year I need to remind myself that the players the Chiefs draft were drafted as people first and players secondly. Sure, they were drafted for their talent but I mean they were drafted because they fit the personality mold this regime believes in. I just hope they weren’t looking past a whole lot of talented prospects simply because they like these prospect’s personalities better.

 

Alright, alright, I’ll admit it, after researching and writing this piece, I’m actually feeling hopeful about this draft.

 

 

In Other Chiefs News: UDFAs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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