No Stone Left Unturned
An Evaluation of the 2018 Draft
By David Bell
Chiefs 2018 draft picks:
- 46. Breeland Speaks
- 75. Derrick Nnadi
- 100. Dorian O’Daniel
- 124. Armani Watts
- 196. Tremon Smith
- 198. Khalil McKenzie
I am not a professional scout. After all, I have not been involved in organized football since my first year of college in Missour-uh and… since I have a great many faults and not nearly as much talent as I think I have, I am going to quote my founding father-hero, Benjamin Franklin, and try to learn to follow in his footsteps. At Philly, 17 September, 1787, Franklin spoke in closing, then encouraging those present to sign the document of their objective:
“…For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise. It is therefore that the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more respect to the judgment of other…”
So it is that I know the proper authority resides at One Arrowhead Way in Kansas City – this is where the Chief’s experts ply their trade. Since the advent of Brett Veach in the role of GM, I have trusted his work and his staff and his interface with Head Coach Andy Reid and the coaching staff so therefore I have put my faith in those powers that be in the Kansas City Chiefs. Thus far, all of the moves that Veach has made have had high value and return. I expect the same result from this draft.
Speaks, Nnadi, and O’Daniel
I felt that the OLB situation would be lost in this draft to the Kansas City Chiefs who had no Round One pick. On Day Two, Veach drafted a player who may well shift my view of what an OLB truly is when he selected by trading up to #46 to obtain Ole Miss Defensive End, Breeland Speaks. Shifting my view of defense is a tough one for me since I am a “traditionalist.” Much discourse over the past couple of months involved the evolving defense schemes and that involves Bob Sutton and how the Chiefs approach the future.
It is now Saturday evening and I am still thinking about this selection. Speaks has a constant motor. He has great heart and physicality. He has violent hands, speed and length and size. His 40 time was 4.87 at the combine, 4.65 20 yard shuttle, a vertical 32.5 inches and his 3 cone drill was 7.65 sec. In 2017 he had 6 sacks in the final six games of the season. He plays the game with a total edginess and though his output was a top type performer for 2017, his previous two seasons were a bit middle of the road. 2017 saw him come into his own. He is a bit light for a 3-4 DE and a bit heavy for an OLB. He does get off on the snap with explosiveness. At 6-foot-3 283 lbs., he is light for a defensive end and heavy for an OLB. Andy Reid spoke about Speaks’ athleticism and physicality. Veach and others expressed that on his visit to the Kingdom Speaks had great rapport with the staff and hit a “home run.”
Going outside the Chiefs organization for a view of Speaks, you have to take a look at ESPN’s Mel Kiper whose view of Speaks as, “One of the most under-rated players in the draft.” Also saying, “This is one of the most improved defensive players in all of college football.“
For the NFL at DE, Speaks is light at 283-85. But at the snap he demonstrates explosiveness and that bodes well for the player and the Chiefs. Andy Reid stated he would start Speaks out at OLB and move him inside for passing downs. This will mean that Speaks is going to play a hybrid role for the Chiefs and we must wait to see how DC Bob Sutton employs him. One thing that may be observed is that Speaks is a good defender against the run.
The Idea of Stopping the Run
Let’s take the idea of stopping the run to the next two Chiefs picks in the 2018 Draft. It is apparent that Veach and Co. have been determined to stop the run, and that is ever evident by their actions after Veach took over in acquiring ILBs Reggie Ragland and Anthony Hutchins. Now adding Speaks to the mix along with acquiring Xavier Williams from the Cardinals, the Chiefs have added significant depth to the run stopping capability. So, we then turn to the Chiefs Round Three picks in this draft: DT Derrick Nnadi, pick #75 and LB Dorian O’Daniel, pick #100.
Anyone who follows the Chiefs knows that the team has had the inability to stop opposing teams in using the ground game to move the sticks. Derrick Nnadi ‘s selection in the draft at pick #75 makes clear that the Chiefs are serious about ending other teams feasting on them with the run game. Most analysts had Nnadi as a late 3rd round pick and that fits fairly well where he was chosen by Veach. Again, he was not my choice or ideal DT. He is a good player and very good against the run. In Dorian O’ Daniel you have added a player who is a sideline-to-sideline defender who may well play Safety in the box or in the role of dime linebacker. Who knows what the plan is at this point. O’Daniel has the ability to close out plays and make tackles in the backfield using his speed. I cannot evaluate his ability to play a role as a safety except perhaps in the box or in some hybrid role and I cannot conceive him to be a “stop the run ILB” either [although NFL.com says he’s a “technically sound tackler”]. He is very good when the ball and the game is in front of him being a downhill type safety/hybrid LB where he has a chance splash big in support of the run defense.
In all three cases, I must question the certainty that I have of defense for the Chiefs and trust quite a bit on the judgments of others, namely those responsible for making the selections professionally. I will note that Ransom Hawthorne commented that the pick was “interesting when selecting Speaks” and I would have to add that I do not have difficulty with the addition of Nnadi or Speaks either one. What is more of a surprise for me is adding O’Daniel.
Round Four: Safety Armani Watts
Finally, in round 4 Veach selected at pick 124, Safety Armani Watts. Watts had dropped in the draft but he is a good pick to play centerfield in a single high and can also be a slot defender. With the departure of Parker in Free Agency, this was, as far as I was concerned, the top need on defense for the team. The next two needs were NT and CB. Watts has skill for the position of Free Safety and that should add to the mix for the role. Watts is not a good tackler, something which I had hoped the Chiefs could solve with a selection for the FS position.
Round Six:
“Alias” Tremon Smith and Kahlil McKenzie
In Round Six, pick #196, the Chiefs acquired, finally, a pick that I think highly of due to my understanding of how to measure a player’s abilities from Ryan Tracy and Rogue Analytics. Tremon Smith – Central Arkansas product, and thus not well known at all, has credentials and recognition and in fact may have been under-rated though he would be a diamond in the rough type selection according to Lance Zierlein. What do I like? His explosiveness rating, closing speed and SAQ. Smith ran a 4.34 40 at his pro-day. I know that he would rate extremely high in Ryan Tracy’s valuation despite coming out of a small program. According to Zierlein: “He might need some time to acclimate to NFL route runners…but Smith’s quick feet and strong desire to crowd the route are necessary traits for future NFL ballhawks.” Round 6, pick #198 gives us pause because the Chiefs chose a defensive player who swapped from OG to defense because of team need at Tennessee. The Chiefs had used one of their two 6th round picks in a trade. In this case, Veach traded up to obtain Kahlil McKenzie, son of Raider’s GM Reggie McKenzie.
At Tennessee, McKenzie played DT but came in as a natural offensive guard. It came out of the Chiefs organization that they drafted him in order to move him to OG. Here, you have to consider that the Chiefs have had a concern with their starting L-OG. For the offensive line it is the single remaining position across the front five that has not been ironed out which must be the purpose of this pick – adding competition to the field of at least three players: Parker Ehinger, Bryan Witzmann and Cameron Erving. McKenzie was a Bay area standout and 5 start recruit and attended college at his father’s Alma Mater, the University of Tennessee.
Some Final 2018 Draft Notes
Was this a stellar draft? No, it was not. It’s difficult to have such a draft without a first round pick. Were any of the players on my draft board? None of them were among my potential selections but I did have Nnadi for an alternative choice. Will this draft be a fulfillment of needs and direction by the Chiefs and GM Brett Veach? Unfortunately such a judgment cannot be made at this time.
How would you or I rate a draft with these selections? Maybe a C or C+. I won’t even be able to add a grade of “value” until well into the season. Heck: I am still waiting to rate Dorsey’s last draft.
I understand each pick. I actually like quite a lot in the selections of Nnadi and Smith. Speaks has got to have the potential to be a special choice but we cannot know that this is the case – yet. My view is there are 3 and possibly 4 very good picks among these players. Speaks, Nnadi, and Smith are the three. Add Watts and that is four, spread across six rounds.
David Bell – Waiting for Spring Sunshine and Training Camp and Pre-Season and Opening day.
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