The NFL Draft is now exactly 31 days away and we’re likely no closer to knowing who the Kansas City Chiefs will take than we were in January. However, we do know a thing or two about who is available, what the team’s biggest needs are, and who’s worth taking… and maybe who’s not.
Many of you have heard the ArrwoheadOne writer’s reference “DraftTek.com” as a ranking service when speaking about the possible choices for the Chiefs. While it’s just one service that we use, there’s an aspect of their rating service which may interest you — or that you may not be aware of — which is, their frequent updates showing whether or not a prospect has risen, or fallen — a red arrow down shows how far they’ve fallen that week and a green arrow up the board shows how far they’ve risen, and DraftTek provides this data every week.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at risers and fallers who can impact the Chiefs draft. I’ll provide you with a few prospects who may impact the Chiefs if they choose to select the positions many of us have identified as “needs” for the Chiefs such as: ILB, RB, QB, OLB, TE, and OG.
First Round, Pick #27
ILB: Reuben Foster has risen 10 places since last week from #27, where the Chiefs would certainly consider him, to #17, which is out of the Chiefs likely draft landing spot.
OT: Garrett Bolles from Utah has risen #42 to #26 where the Chiefs could consider him. More than likely, with all the help that teams need at OT, he’ll be gone by #27. Which may also mean, if Bolles is drafted higher than #26, he will bump a more appealing prospect down the Chiefs.
OG: Forrest Lamp has gone from #33 to #24 making him either too high for the Chiefs or helping to bump an appealing pick down the Chiefs too.
CB: Quincy Wilson has dropped from #19 to #26, closer to where the Chiefs would consider him.
RB: Christian McCaffery has gone from #25 to #23 making it more unlikely he wears red and gold.
QB: DeShone Kizer has jumped up from 59 to 28 verifying the jump most QBs make the month before a draft. If he lingers between 27 and 30 the Chiefs will look long and hard at making him the first QB they’ve taken in the first since Todd Blackledge in 1983.
Second Round, Pick #59
QB: Patrick Mahones III has dropped from 47 to 71 for some strange reason and I can see the Chiefs snapping him up there in a heartbeat.
TE: Evan Engram has been dropping in recent weeks but this past week has gone from 44 to 49. If he continues to drop and is available when the Chiefs go at 59, he’d make an absolutely wonderful second round choice. Engram would be an Expresso hit in the veins of the offense and a playmaker that Alex Smith can see: one who’s always right in front of him, in the middle of the field.
TE: Bucky Hodges has dropped from 55 to 65 and would make a good choice at 59.
TE: Small college fan favorite Adam Shaheen is sticking around at #68 and has only dropped one spot in the past week. Some think he’d be a good second round choice.
ILB: The same goes from Zach Cunningham who has fallen from 34 to 52 in the space of seven days. If he’s there for the Chiefs at 59, I’d be jumping for joy (you may recall I wrote a piece saying the Chiefs should trade up in the first to get him).
ILB: Tyus Bowser has made a major jump from 262 to 76. It’s like everyone suddenly woke up and saw that Tyus Bowser was alive. Ransom Hawthorne opened our eyes on Bowser just yesterday. Be sure to Check out his, “ILB Lazy Big Board” where he shares all about Bowser.
OG: Dan Feeny has gone from 65 down to 57 this week and if he’s available at 59, he could really help the Chiefs OL… THIS YEAR.
CB: Kevin King had dropped from 30 to 53 and if he keeps going in that direction would be available to the Chiefs when they pick.
DT: Elijah Qualls is down three ticks to 63 and I don’t know why. He should be an early second-round choice in my view but if he’s here at #59… snatch him up and watch him explode in Bob Sutton’s interior rotation.
Third Round, Pick #91
RB: Alvin Kamara has jumped from 147 all the up to 86. If he stays around for the Chiefs at 91, he’d be a terrific selection. I love his running style.
RB: Samaje Perine has dropped from 56 to 99 and would make a great value pick at 91. His ability to lower his shoulder between the tackles may be the best in this draft.
TE: Gerald Everett has gone from 197 to 90 and if he hangs there would be a boon of a pick. Ransom Hawthorne, aka: Chiefly Bacon, says, “Everett is going to be a special player” and I couldn’t agree more. BTW… Bacon has him projected to pick #59… so Everett would be a real-deal-steal at 91.
QB: Nathan Peterman has gone from #88 to #123 and he has enough traits to like to make a good pick 91.
Third Round, Compensatory Pick #104
QB: Davis Webb of California is another one of those steady rising QBs and, for now, he sits at #100 on DraftTek’s list. If he’s there, he has too many positive intangibles to pass up (assuming the Chiefs don’t go QB in the 1st or 2nd)… especially at 104.
TE: Jake Butt is sitting at 103… if that sticks, you gotta take him.
ILB: Anthony Walker is at 108. Many fans like him and believe he could help the run defense.
CB: Shaquill Griffin was at 999 (which means he wasn’t even on the radar last week) and jumped up to 106. Lance Zierlein of CBS Sports shares the amazing story about him and his twin brother Shaquem,
“Both signed with UCF despite Shaquem having only one hand, and they’ve excelled for the Knights ever since. He played eight games as a true freshman, starting once (eight tackles, one pass break-up). Griffin played as a reserve in 2014, as well (17 tackles, one interception). He earned a starting role in his junior year, playing nine games at cornerback and two at safety (50 tackles, two interceptions — one for TD, 13 PBU). Both brothers were among UCF’s top defenders in 2016, with Shaquem winning the AAC’s Defensive Player of the Year award and Shaquill being voted second-team all-conference (50 tackles, three TFL, team-high four INT and 15 PBU).”
Fourth Round, Pick #132
CB: Ahkello Witherspoon has gone from 150 to 129 in a one week period. He plays opposite Chidobe Awuzie in Colorado’s tight man defense and while he only had 3 INTs in college I’ve seen him play a solid tight man coverage consistently. Not only that but his 6-foot-3 inch frame should attract a lot of teams. Well worth the pick at 132. Here’s some game tape vs. Utah in 2016.
CB: Sidney Jones has dropped all the way to 125 and if he keeps this up it will be worth the Chiefs taking a flier on him at 132. The guy could end up being another Marcus Peters… especially if he comes all the way back from his Achilles injury.
WR: Chad Hansen has made a leap from 172 to pick 127. If you’ve watched any of QB Davis Webb’s game tape then you’ve probably seen Hansen catching the ball in most of Webb’s highlight throws. Hansen isn’t a speed demon with a 4.53 40 time but he’s a savvy WR and would be a deserving pick at 132. Hansen was a Biletnikoff Award candidate and here’s his highlight reel.
RB: 5’10” 213 lbs. Marlon Mack is up to #126, from #180, and he would make a great pick at 132. Here’s his highlight tape. Here’s a nice introductory piece on Marlon Mack. I think of him as a Dalvin Cook lite only WITH a grat attitude. Here’s a better highlight reel. He’ll have to learn to not try and pop everything outside but he has great upside.
Fifth Round, Pick #170
ILB: Ben Gedeon has zipped from 258 to 175 in the space of a week. Ransom Hawthorne has Gedeon pegged as a Chiefs 170th pick and I won’t argue… except… the Chiefs could take this other prospect named…
OLB: Caroll Phillips is a 6-foot-3 inch 243 lb. edge rusher from Illinois who is athletic and speedy. Here’s his short highlight reel.
TE: Jeremy Sprinkle sits at 167… but if he falls to 170… and if the will think about him… as well they should.
Fifth Round, Compensatory Pick #180
RB: James Conner is listed at #180 by DraftTek and is up 30 slots this week. He’s the biggest RB in this draft and could offer a Christian Okoye LITE effect.
QB: Another QB moving up the board… as is usual… is Sefo Liufau of Colorado. Liufau is one who is not shy when running the ball but he can throw strikes and bombs as well. He will need some work but has some upside. Here are his highlights against Michigan.
Sixth Round, Compensatory Picks 216 and 218
P: Ranked 201, up 19 places this week was Punter/Kicker Austin Rehkow who should really be given some consideration here. With ten picks in this draft, the Chiefs have the opportunity to tie up a Pro Bowl level punter for the next decade and then gain the cap space that cutting Dustin Colquitt would provide. Lance Zierlein of NFL.cothiss thsi to say about Rehkow (pronounced: ree-CO)
“The only reason Rehkow wasn’t a four-time first-team all-conference pick as a punter was because Idaho was an independent in his freshman year (led FBS with 47.8 yards per punt, 24 inside the 20 yard-line, 15 fair catches). He was a Ray Guy Award finalist and third-team Associated Press All-American in 2014 (second in FBS with 47.8 yards per punt, 17 inside the 20) and then had an excellent junior season, as well (45.7 per punt, 14 of 49 inside the 20)…. This was not a big surprise, since he made a 67-yard field goal (one off the national record) in high school.”
ILB/OLB: Skai Moore is a prospect who may be worth taking a chance on. With so many draft picks and so few spots on the roster, the Chiefs could take a look at a couple of players who were injured but have great upside. Skai Moore is one of those players. Dane Brugler said of Moore,
“South Carolina senior linebacker Skai Moore was considered early-round prospect for the 2017 NFL Draft. But due to a herniated disc in his neck, the Gamecocks’ three-time leading tackler will redshirt the upcoming season and return to school in 2017.”
Well, Moore decided to give it a go and he might be worth the pick down the road. Brugler also said, “Moore has been the best player on the South Carolina defense the past few seasons, leading the team in tackles each of his three seasons in Columbia, including a career-best 111 stops in 2015.” His coach said the herniated disc was not thought to be serious so Moore might be a super pick here.
S: David Jones from Richmond could be a steal of a deal here. He stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 218 lbs. but he looks too thin to play Safety to me. However, he doesn’t look any thinner than Sidney Jones who most drafting services had ranked in the first round before his injury. Here’s a nice piece of work in the Ultimate highlight reel on David Jones.
Seventh Round, Pick 245
RB: Donnell Pumphrey is short but he’s not short on moves or talent. Pumphrey has great lateral moves is not just another De’Anthony Thomas. If the Chiefs want to improve team speed his 2,133 rushing yards and 6.1 yards-per-carry should not go UNdrafted. Here’s a highlight reel that’s a little too hyped up for my liking but you can get an idea of his value.
OG: Corey Levin of Chattanooga could be an LDT-type workable OG. NFL.com says this about Levin,
“Levin possesses an ideal frame for playing on the interior with a naturally low center of gravity due to a classic “Fred Flintstone” build including a powerful core, relatively short legs, and light feet. Despite his “blocky” frame, Levin shows good initial quickness and lateral agility to mirror in pass protection, traits that also helped him be quite effective while pulling as a run blocker.”
If they can get him to keep moving his feet when he locks up his opponent, he could make a very good OG in the NFL.