Mock (3/19)

[Direckshun]

Did my best to make an acceptable mock that we here on CP would love, while remaining loyal to the Dorsey way of doing things.

Assumptions:

1. The Chiefs extend QB Alex Smith 6 years, $90m (when you break the numbers down, it will actually break down to 4 years, $60m, with something like $35m guaranteed), and S Eric Berry 6 years, $45m ($23m guaranteed). They will extend Justin Houston at some point during the 2015 season.

2. The Chiefs let walk: WR Kyle Williams, S Kendrick Lewis

3. The Chiefs sign WR/KR Jacoby Ford (Raiders) to a 1 year, $1m deal.

On with the show:



1.23. OLB Dee Ford, Auburn

The Chiefs have three goals this offseason, with limited resources to do so: they need to give Alex Smith more weapons on offense; they need to boost their passrush; and they need to better stock their secondary. Fortunately, the Chiefs will be able to do some of that with in-house options: AJ Jenkins and Travis Kelce already give them improved weapons downfield, Vance Walker will help supply some push, and Sanders Commings can't possibly be worse than Kendrick Lewis or Quentin Demps.

That said, the Chiefs need to continue beefing up on all fronts, while making sure the OL isn't a cluster**** next year. Of those three tasks, passrusher is without a doubt the hardest one to do, so the Chiefs use their 1st round nuke to land the best passrusher possible.

Ford is the best passrusher possible. Essentially a one-year wonder, Ford will need a year behind Hali and Houston, before providing the team an option when difficult decisions need to be made in 2015. Ford can destroy the corner on tall, inflexible tackles like they're nothing. Even athletic tackles will have trouble keeping up with him, and the Chiefs land an excellent weapon to groom for the future.

2.62. WR Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt

The Chiefs can't sit on their hands during this excellent 2nd round, so they're banking on some quality compensatory picks in 2015 to make this happen. The Chiefs, as it stands, have four projected compensatory picks -- one in the third (Albert), one in the 4th (Asamoah), and two in the 5th (McCluster & Schwartz). So the Chiefs trade with the Patriots to get into the 2nd round.

The Chiefs get: 2.62, 6.182
The Patriots get: 2015 2nd, 3rd & 6th; 5.151, 6.184

This way, the Patriots get what they always love: future picks (and the Chiefs 2nd rounder in 2015 will likely be higher than #62, which the Patriots are giving up). The Chiefs get to: trade 6ths with the Pats, trade their 2nd rounder in 2015 for the more valuable 2nd rounder in 2014, and basically just move down in the 2015 3rd round since they're going to get a compensatory pick in the 3rd.

Matthews is a potential first-round caliber WR who is in a brutally tough class this year. While Matthews is nobody's idea of a burner, he is smooth as silk in his route-running with excellent hands. He will combat with Avery for #2 WR duties, and I believe after this year, that's exactly the role he'll inhabit for this team.

3.87. CB/S Antone Exum, Virginia Tech

I've drafted this guy a couple times for the Chiefs, and I'm going to keep going with it. The Chiefs already have their depth chart at corner, with Flowers, Smith, Cooper, and Parker all deserving of the #1-#4 spots on the roster. It's possible the Chiefs will lose both of their starting CBs in 2015, and Exum's long body and fluid hips make him a key acquisition to eventually fill that role.

In the mean time, the Chiefs also have a need at safety, where they'll be starting Commings and bringing back Husain Abdullah. In the event that Commings underwhelms (I'm high on him), Exum provides great depth at a position that needs it with starter-caliber upside. Exum is essentially Sanders Commings, and I've no doubt the Chiefs are super interested in him.

4.119. NT Zach Kerr, Delaware

I think Kerr could legitimately fall this far, but he honestly shouldn't. He should be a 2nd round pick, because you are talking about a guy who is 330 lbs and moves like he's 285. Kerr is an outstanding athlete with great bullish strength.

Hey, you want more passrush, do you not? The #1 way to do that this offseason is to give Dontari Poe some goddamn rest. Kerr will require a learning curve, but towards the end of the season he could be seeing 40% of the snaps, giving Poe a needed rest if/when there is a playoff push coming.

6.177. OT/G Andrew Norwell, Ohio State

The Chiefs have yet to provide depth at the OL, and I'm sure some of the OL purists on this site are knocking the mock for failing to provide that. But I believe the Chiefs really only need a swing-tackle from this draft. They've already got Rishaw Johnson as a starter-caliber player at guard, and they brought in Linkenbach as a swing-guard.

Norwell can play four of the five positions (which is fairly common in this year's draft), and is quick enough to set the edge against speed rushers (which very much isn't). Norwell looks like a decent right tackle at the next level with starter-caliber guard upside. The Chiefs will likely plug him in should Jeff Allen or Rishaw Johnson go down with injury, but for now, he's your swing tackle.

6.182. RB Damien Williams, Oklahoma

Williams has had his issues at OU, the most concerning to the Chiefs being that he had a season-ending leg injury he's coming back from. But he's also the body the Chiefs really like in a reserve RB: he's a stocky 211 lbs with 4.4 speed. Williams was the workhorse in OU's offense and it would not surprise me to see them add a 3rd RB like Williams in the 6th round, and a speedy project like John Spooney from Brown in the UDFA as a home-run threat.

[Direckshun]

Alright, after reading that link, I think the Chiefs are currently in line for three picks, a 3rd and two 4ths, with an outside shot at a 7th if we don't sign anybody else.

[Direckshun]

Basically, I'm saying Walker and Mays cancels out McCluster and Schwartz, and a couple of the nobodies may cancel out two of Demps/Jordan/Powe.

I say "may," because it's not clear if either player will actually play snaps. Their contracts may very well be comparable, which the author says is the primary determination.

[O.city]

Where is Marcus Martin projected to go?


He could come in and start at RG day 1

[Direckshun]

It seems Kyle Williams and Kendrick Lewis will probably both get scooped up.

Honestly, I'm glad I read that. I don't know the salary levels, but my guess is we get something like this:

3rd, 4th, 4th, 7th, which I think is most likely

or:

3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, which is less likely

That 1st one would be interesting -- they both would be.

But the 1st would look like:

1st
2nd
3rd
3rd
4th
4th
4th
5th
6th
7th
7th

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by O.city

Where is Marcus Martin projected to go?


He could come in and start at RG day 1

He's a 2nd day talent. Can play center or guard, and this is a center-starved draft.

[O.city]

I hope Kush becomes the interior swing guy. He's a legit dude.

[Direckshun]

Possible. I think we have two in house options.

Kush is, in all likelihood, our starter at center in 2015.

Edit: Which, honestly, should give us another compensatory pick in 2016. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, lol.

[O.city]

I think Hudson really came on last year and holds the spot down for the next while.

However, I wouldn't be upset with kush there.

[LoneWolf]

Deepest draft in recent memory and your latest mock doesn't have one pick starting this season. FAIL.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

Deepest draft in recent memory and your latest mock doesn't have one pick starting this season. FAIL.

What's more important, landing an immediate starter at RG, or finding a potentially elite successor to Hali?

I think Matthews, Ford, and Norwell are probable starters in 2015. And every other player is a starter caliber player if/when they are given a chance.

[Chief Roundup]

So we bitch about not having a 2cd this year and then you want to give away 3 more picks in next years draft. That would be stupid.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

So we bitch about not having a 2cd this year and then you want to give away 3 more picks in next years draft. That would be stupid.

I'm maximizing value, here.

We can take our medicine, and sit the 2nd round out this year, or we can try to get back into it.

Since we are likely in line for three to four compensatory picks, we're honestly only losing next year's 2nd, which is decidedly less valuable than this year's.