New Kids on the Block: Hangin’ Tough With the 2021 Rookies

Let’s talk CHIEFS ROOKIES. The young guns. The fresh faces if you will. The new kids on the block – now that’s a headline I can run with. When I hear that phrase, I think of two things immediately: the newest leading, um characters, in the excellent 1997 movie Boogie Nights, and the venerable 80s/90s Boy Band that absolutely owned the early 90s. Since this is a family friendly site, we’re going the Boy Band route. Buckle up!!

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Making the Band (before P Diddy was doing it)

and a Christmas album later, it’s 1990, Step By Step is released, and the New Kids are arguably the biggest act in the US.

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This is also the part where I enter myself as I was coming of age in late grade school and early middle school. My personal musical relationship with New Kids was pure frustration as the girls I suddenly had interest in were busy pairing each other with members of the vocal group. It didn’t help my personal situation that I was more into the major country acts at the time, most notably Garth Brooks. For the record his era at this time was Ropin’ the Wind, The Chase, Christmas album, Beyond the Season, and In Pieces (best GB album). Talk about a rock solid run!!

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Down to Business

At this point I’m about 300 words in talking about 90s boy band and country acts, and thank everyone for staying with me. I feel the need to explain myself a bit: quite simply this is the kind of thing I do with friends. I concocted the thought of comparing CHIEFS rookies –> to a boy band, and brought in some help from buddies Bryan and Chris. We tackled the subject on the Arrowhead Kingdom CHIEFScast, and had a blast with it. Here is the full video for your extended viewing pleasure.

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Chris is the smart one from the group as indicated by some of his recent writing for Arrowhead Kingdom, and Bryan is my personal instigator. They both took the assignment seriously and came very prepared. Chris brought his normal wit and football wisdom. Bryan brought the best explanation of the why: guys born in the early to mid 80s spend a substantial amount of time talking about boy bands. Our direction is the roles we see, and wish, for the CHIEFS ROOKIES.

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The Roles and Criteria

Every good boy band vocal group will have a handful of baseline roles. New Kids on the Block are no exception, and here is how we set the tone for the 5 members with a bonus:

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Jordan Knight – lead singer, 2nd the girls gravitated, mildly successful solo career
Donnie Wahlberg – bad boy, hell raiser, best known for his family
Joey McIntyre – the young one, the heartthrob, mildly successful solo career, 2nd lead singer
Danny Wood – a member of the band
Jonathan Knight – the old guy
Bonus: Mark Wahlberg – the “was he part of this?!?!” guy
(apologies to Jamie Kelly, but you were neither in long enough or Mark Wahlberg enough to include)

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We all agreed on the terms and got into a pretty spirited debate about who was who. Without further ado here’s my take:

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Step By Step for the 2021 Rookie Class

Donnie

Donnie is not only the OG, but where my head first went. In my mind this can be no one other than Nick Bolton. Main reason: Donnie was the hell raiser of the group, and that is what we are going to need from Nick Bolton. I want to see Bolton trashing opposing QB and RB like they are a hotel room in the 90s. I relish the potential of Bolton getting under opposing players skin to the point where Spags has to address the question in a press conference. The draft prospect on Nick was great instincts and pursuit, and we need both. In a piece by Chris Thomas called, “Linebackers, You Are the Weakest Link” for ArrowheadKingdom he recently pointed out that indeed, the Chiefs current set of LBs, are the weakest squad on the team, so… I’m asking Nick Bolton to be part of fixing this.

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Bryan went with Trey Smith due to his desire for him to be a surprising player. This was based mainly around Donnie surprising in his role on Sixth Sense. Chris also mentioned Smith due to his noted mean streak on the field, which is also very welcome. I applaud their alignment (don’t worry it doesn’t happen again), but I maintain my stance.

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Jordan

I was torn here between Creed Humphrey and Noah Gray. Creed was considered as potential lead singer of the OL if he manages to pry the starting center job, but I ultimately went with Gray because of what I really want for him. The draft profile on Gray is versatility as he lined up all over the field and going in motion. He is an offensive, pass catching weapon. The knock is his lack of consistent run blocking, which is probably the reason he fell to the 5th. Let’s keep in mind who throws the ball for K.C. and who also plays TE. And that is ultimately where I went. Kelce is clearly the swoon in the receiving corp and king of the TE (not for KC, the NFL), and we need the compliment. My hope is Gray gets good enough that he takes a couple eyes from Kelce.

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Not all of them, but a couple.

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Bryan paired Bolton as the first pick of the draft = lead singer. Point taken. Chris went with Shane Buechele because QB = lead singer. Got it.

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Joey

This one was pretty set in my mind as well with Cornell Powell. I could link a million articles lamenting letting Watkins walk, and calling for Hardman to take the role as stud WR2. The Chiefs reality is there is not a clear cut answer, and we are all pretty nervy about it. We need Powell to be a star, and he has my full endorsement to take that role.

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Bryan went with Creed Humphrey as a guy who will fight for his spot and have to mesh with the rest of the line. Great bit of thought and research noting Joey as the outsider brought in for his talent. Chris went Josh Kaindoh as the guy who walks off the bus looking the part. Good call there.

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Danny

This is the spot where we went with the individual without the real noted things going on. Key part, keeps his head down and works. Solid contributor and the group is better because of the presence. This is where I went with Creed Humphrey. In general no one really focuses on the line play these days unless it is really bad. Someone rescued from a deserted island in January could have written 10,000 words on how bad the Chiefs were in the Super Bowl… but you have to look really hard for good line analysis. The unfortunate reality is that unseen line play in front of a powerful offense is the goal. So Creed, I am rooting for you to come in and forcefully take the starting center job and make some Pro Bowls.

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Chris took Devon Key for being impressed with how he is progressing, but hoping he does not take Thornhill’s job. Bryan took Noah Gray because he cannot possibly be notable sitting behind Kelce.

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Jonathan

This one was tough for me and ended up being Joshua Kaindoh due mainly to a lack of other spot. I do have to hand it to Chris for identifying Powell as the oldest of the rookie class. Kind of hard to link a rookie with an old guy is my excuse here. Bryan quit paying attention and rolled with Ric Flair.

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Bonus: Mark

I picked Trey Smith for this spot. My reasoning is a desire for Smith to come on in a big way and truly make a name for himself. So much so that he becomes an institution on the OL, and is the “oh yeah, he was part of that 2021 class.” In 1984 no one was lining up to laud Maurice Starr for grabbing Donnie Wahlberg’s little brother to be in a boy band, and on May 1 nobody was lining up to do in depth TV analysis of a 6th round compensatory pick. However, Brett Veach and his scouting department know the draft is 4 days, and they planned as such. Cheers to this one being the pick no one saw coming.

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Bryan picked Kaindoh due to his all around talent in everything al a Mark’s singing, acting, etc. Chris went with first time playing this year Lucas Niang.

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Encore

The most exciting thing for me is there is genuine reason to be excited for the CHIEFS ROOKIES, and it is not because we don’t have good players. It’s actually to the contrary. We are coming off back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, and we have the best player, period. Our offense is flush with weapons, and our D is keeping us in pretty much every game. Great teams can only stay great if they manage their cap well, and the draft is absolutely key to this. So cheers to the 2021 rookie class and the Chiefs organization that drafted them.

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Thanks to everyone for following me on this journey, and see you next week for more!!

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Josh Kingsley — ArrowheadOne

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