Oh Snap! How Chiefs Can Get Immediate Production From Their Draft Class

Oh Snap! How Chiefs Can Get

Immediate Production From

Their Draft Class

by Ransom Hawthorne | April 18, 2019

For the Kansas City Chiefs, I have a new axiom to adopt: “Nobody makes an impact, sitting on the bench.” There are a host of factors driving draft selections, from fit, to future plans, but the number one factor should be opportunity. The best way to gauge that, is an examination of snap counts. Here’s a list of key losses, in free agency, and their percentage of snap counts, in 2018.

Players	Snap%
CB Steven Nelson	98.8
S Ron Parker	87.18
EDGE Dee Ford	86.76
WR Chris Conley	76.75
DT Allen Bailey	71.9
CB Orlando Scandrick	66.89
OC Mitch Morse	64.88
EDGE Justin Houston	61.04
S Eric Murray	59.59
RB Kareem Hunt	48

So the Chiefs biggest needs are CB, S, Edge, WR and DT right? Well, it’s not quite that simple. GM Brett Veach has also made significant free agent additions who will be expected to take some of those snaps. For a snap driven approach, you need to take their snaps into account as well. For Bashaud Breeland, I’ve used the average snap count percentage after he was signed rather than for the whole year. Carlos Hyde’s snap% is a combination of his snaps in Cleveland and Jacksonville. While Austin Reiter is not part of the calculation, I have included his snaps just for reference, since many fans see him replacing Mitch Morse at Center in 2019.

Players	Snap%
S Tyrann Mathieu	97.75
CB Bashaud Breeland	70.9
EDGE Emanuel Ogbah	68.4
EDGE Alex Okafor	63.69
RB Carlos Hyde	35.95
OC Austin Reiter	25.45

The Math Involved

By adding the percentage of snaps lost at a given position, and subtracting the snaps added, we get an idea of what snaps are up for grabs (NSL = net snaps lost), as it applies to this year. It doesn’t necessarily mean the Chiefs lack guys who can take those snaps, but it does mean they lack proven starters. If you’re looking to get guys off the bench, and onto the field, those snaps will be the easiest to come by. Here’s a look at how all the — NSL — shake out:

Position	NSL
CB	94.79
WR	76.75
DT	71.9
OC	64.88
S	49.02
DE	15.63
RB	12.05

Fans will be quick to point out that Emmanuel Ogbah is by no means a sure thing. This is true, but remember, we’re talking about opportunity. If you draft a DE high in this year’s draft, you would be taking those snaps away from guys like Ogbah, Breeland Speaks, and Tanoh Kpassagnon: one way or the other you’re wasting an asset. It might pay off as a long-term strategy… but in the short-term, it means more guys playing less snaps. Fans might not think of Wide Receiver and Defensive Tackle as big needs, after all the Chiefs have Chris Jones and a couple great WRs. The fact remains, there are many snaps to be had, at both of those positions.

Final Thoughts: If you’re looking to get immediate production, not just long-term quality… WR and DT… are the positions you have to target in the draft and I hope Brett Veach does that. I like Center Austin Reiter as much as the next guy but, if a 4th year player, with four games of starting experience, and a torn ACL in his history, is the reason you’re not drafting a center, ya crazy. Go Chiefs.

Ransom Hawthorne — ArrowheadOne

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