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DE Jared Verse, Florida State
Maybe the biggest need on this team for the coming year is for the DE position across from the Karlaftis/Danna DE position, which is more rigid, brute force passrushers with high effort. We are in need of bendy talents that can burst off the edge, threaten the tackle's outside shoulder, and then counter them into oblivion. Verse seems like exactly the guy that fits the bill. His big problem is that he needs truckloads of coaching. He isn't very good at reading his keys, he gets confused discerning passes and runs, just a lot of mental acuity training. All the physicals are there: he is bendy, speedy, very athletic, plays with great motor. I really enjoy his tape. But his rush defense is sloppy and he's going to need a truckload of coaching -- I think this guy is a 10-sack guy by season 2 or 3. He needs it simplified, and fortunately we have an outstanding coach in Joe Cullen who could groom this guy. We need a lot more talent on the edge, and as raw as he may be, I think he's a great fit at the bottom of the 1st round, or even worth trading a few spots up for. |
OT Blake Freeland, BYU
Man this guy would be a great fit for this team in every conceivable way. First, he's probably Mormon, so Andy Reid is all the way in. Second of all, he's a very long, power tackle with great arms who looks like a prototypical right tackle, which is one of the biggest holes on this team. He's a plug-and-play right tackle who still boasts some upside, somewhat higher than even rookie Lucas Niang did at one point. He's not a guy that's going to be Mitch Schwartz, I don't think; he lacks the athleticism and super athletic DEs may give him problems in the early going. I trust Mahomes to navigate that in Year 1 and for Freeland, Andy Reid, and Andy Heck to properly coach that up by Year 2. Perfect fit for the 2nd round. |
RB Devon Achane, Texas A&M
I think Achane is an absurdly exciting player to watch, an absolutely electric undersized RB who can hit a crease and go the distance. I think he's sleeping on some draft charts, because as soon as the Combine comes and goes, he's going to be a Day 2 selection. He is currently on the Texas A&M track team, running the 200m and 100m, and he's great at both. That means he has (a.) elite acceleration, and (b.) elite top-end speed. He's not a guy you want to give a heavy workload, but this offense, with its three tight ends, it's RBs with mediocre top end speed, and the impending departure of Mecole Hardman, needs more speed. Andy Reid eats and sleeps with these guys. Put him on the roster. I'd take him in the 3rd round. |
I'd take Achane in round 2 and not blink
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I don't like him touching the ball more than, say, 12 times a game, maybe 15 times at his absolute peak. He's on the small side. Do you want a limited usage guy in the 2nd? This year, Veach took Moore and Cook, players who have every-down upside. The year before, Humphries and Bolton. I think Veach likes every-down usage for a player that early in the draft. |
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I agree with you. |
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It's hilarious that somebody that is SO opposed to taking a RB in the 1st, even at pick 32, would say something like this. |
If CEH is a lesson learned in taking a RB in the 1st, what about Swift, Dobbins, and Akers?
Hell, even the Colts look like they might get 2 great years out of JT if they're lucky. His rookie season and year 3 aren't exactly a justification for taking a RB high in the 2nd either. |
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5'9 185 in the 2nd round? No thanks, idc how fast he is.
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A plug and play right tackle who boasts some right tackle? Shit, man, sign me up for a bunch of right tackle! |
I like Freeland, especially if they commit to Orlando Brown.
If they DON'T commit to Orlando Brown, I think the Chiefs try for Jack Conklin or Elgton Jenkins with the idea of them being the RT for the next 3-4 years, to add stability and veteran performance at one tackle while they groom the young guy at LT. Jenkins would be the ideal sign, as someone who has played LT and performed well in the past. |
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What do we all think of this draft overall? I honestly don't think its as strong as last seasons, though the 2022 draft did have extra depth because of the pandemic.
I think there will be a ton of trading in the first round in this one though due to the QBs, which are obviously a much stronger group than last seasons draft. Having said that I think the 2024 QB crop looks stronger again; there are some holes in the games of the top QBs for 2023. |
Where is Deuce projected? I’m no K-State homer, and he issss tiny. But that dude could be a McKinnon replacement and be damn good at it
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Roschon Johnson needs to be on the list at RB.
Tough as nails, surprising speed when he sees daylight, good in pass-pro, and a special teams ace. |
DE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
Here's a guy who I am increasingly fascinated by, and may warrant a second day pick. Van Ness is a Spags-sized end, 6'5", almost 270. He is a Karlaftis clone with (I would surmise) more athletic upside, with the ability to reduce down to the interior. He's played 5-tech, wide DE, and passing down DT. His power is unquestionable, his athleticism is there. I'm going to watch his Combine tape closely -- because this guy is raw as hell. He's only started this season, and he's scored half a dozen sacks on a rotational basis. He's got all the tools, but his lack of a snapcount is going to warrant all kinds of technique work. If he lights up the Combine, I'd sniff him out with a 3rd -- but probably a 4th given the huge question marks around him. If he doesn't perform well at the Combine, I may take him with a late 6th or one of my 7ths. |
QB Cameron Ward, Washington State
Air raid offense. Strong arm, various arm angles. Lots of athleticism for running the option or picking up extra yardage. Eye popping plays on the regular. Remind you of anyone? Who knows, maybe Henne has another season in him, but if not, the Chiefs no longer need a "heady vet" in the room. Time to take some lottery tickets at QB for depth and perhaps trading off for value down the road. I'm a big fan of taking QBs whose talents match the starter's anyways, which is why I like Shane Buechele's upside. But Ward is a clearer heir apparent. Not nearly as experienced as you want but he's risen to the moment at Wash State after transferring from FCS, and he looks like he has fantastic upside. He's less of a Mahomes clone, honestly; I think he's more of an Alex Smith in his playing style. But after a couple years in the system, and a couple of preseason light shows, I think this guy is a capable backup that you can maybe flip for picks down the road. I'd take a hard look at him in the 4th. |
RB Chase Brown, Illinois
At some point, the Chiefs should honestly lean in on what their OL does best and just run north-south smashmouth football. It plays to Pacheco's strengths, they could elevate Ronald Jones and have him play supplemental snaps there, and honestly if they're committed to Brown/Humphrey/Smith/even Wylie, they should all the way in with the RB rotation. That's Brown's style. He's not a huge wiggle guy, but he hits the hole violently and has fantastic top-end speed to beat DBs' pursuit angles (Brown is another track star). He's only 200 lbs but this is basically Darwin Thompson with more speed. His performance has grown every season. The Chiefs probably have five 7ths this NFL Draft, and using one of them to fill out the bottom end of your RB stable is fair value, I think. |
DE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
Tyree Wilson is going to make some 3-4 team very happy, and honestly he would be a good fit in KC in the Karlaftis role if we didn't already have Karlaftis there. Having two clunky but powerful workers coming off the edge, I don't think, sets the defense up the way we need to be. But if Spags sees some wiggle in Wilson's game that I don't see, go for it. Wilson's biggest strength is that this guy just gets off blocks. He is long, he is about 280 lbs, and he has long arms to manipulate tackles and ruin guards. He can rotate down to DT and make lives miserable. He's really what you'd have in Karlaftis if you dialed hustle down to a 10 from Karlaftis' 12, but if you dialed the power and slipperiness up to a 9. Wilson has a ceiling that he can reach, but while he's on his way, he's strong and slippery enough to rack up sacks his rookie year. But he's arguably a Top 15 player in this draft, and the Chiefs are not going to give up picks to go get a juiced up Karlaftis while they have a Karlaftis. If he falls to our pick, who knows. He's not a great fit for what the team needs schematically, but he will get you sacks. And this team desperately needs more production from the DE position. |
S Jordan Battle, Alabama
Watching the Chiefs secondary is jarring right now: teams are flat out avoiding Trent McDuffie and Justin Reid at all costs -- you almost never see them on the screen. You do see Juan Thornhill a ton, however, which leads me to believe he's being targeted a ton and his play has just never recovered to 2019 levels. Is Cook a good candidate to take over his spot? Maybe. Cook may be a third safety at best, but I defer to the coaching staff. If he is, and this staff is really looking to keep building that secondary, Battle makes a great amount of sense on the second day. Thornhill, on paper, needs to be a guy who can play shallow routes with the ability to drop into deep safety on occasion. These are both things Battle can do. On paper, he is not super different from Cook, and so if the Chiefs don't like Cook's progress, spending yet another 2nd on the position may make sense. But this team, at all times, needs a third safety who can take considerable snaps if need be, and Battle may supplant and upgrade what Cook has offered so far. He's very good value at the bottom of the 2nd, but given our resources at the position, I'd only be tempted to take him in the 3rd at the soonest. |
TE Cameron Latu, Alabama
Latu would be a luxury selection for this team, and it's possible the Chiefs just have two hundred other players that give them more what they're looking for. Given their roster construction, I think Latu is probably going to be more interesting to 31 other teams than to Kansas City. But I am not a huge fan of this guy anyway, unless we're getting disgusting value on him with one of our 7ths. The knocks: he's not particularly fast, he's not a great route runner. He's just a perfunctory, reliable blocking tight end who you can ask to catch like ten balls a season. That being said, the Chiefs do like having a blocking tight end on the roster. The question then becomes, has Noah Gray upgraded his blocking enough to make TEs like Latu unnecessary to even look at? If he's sitting there in the 7th, I consider jumping on him. |
TE Jaheim Bell, South Carolina
Bell is a heat check for a Chiefs team that can seemingly take any block of clay and turn it into offensive weapon pottery. Bell is a great receiver and a fantastic athlete by TE standards, in part because he's 6'3", 235 lbs. He has the athletic profile to run sharp routes and create all kinds of separation across the middle and the boundary, and to even taking some carries in motions and sweeps if necessary. That tweener size is tricky, and unlike Jody Fortson, his physique seems maxed out. He's not going to be a great blocker, and despite his smaller size, he's not a great fit, it doesn't seem, as a fullback type role. He offers some promise as a pure receiving TE at the bottom of the 53 but the Chiefs seemingly have that already in Fortson, assuming they tender him. If Andy Reid is addicted to having a Fortson-type on the roster, and they deem Fortson as out of their price range long term. spending a late-rounder on Bell might be a way to replace that loss. |
DE Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
What exactly does this defense need, as we enter 2023? Look the roster over. Clearly they're going to need several DTs, run-pluggers in particular, with some depth in the back seven and maybe a new starting safety if Bryan Cook isn't up for the gig. But the biggest thing this defense needs, really what's going to turn this defense from a pretty good one to a Top 8 unit year in and year out, is passrushing off the edge. And not just any passrusher, a passrusher who specifically can threaten a tackle's outside shoulder. The Chiefs ideally need a couple of those guys, rather than technique-and-effort guys like Danna and Karlaftis. But ultimately, they need a premier guy. A blue chip who can torture tackles by beating them to the corner, and undercutting them when they drop too deep. Folks, Isaiah Foskey is that missing piece. He's got really good size and ridiculous upside to go with multi-season evidence that he can explode out of his stance, turn the corner easily, and hunt QBs for games at a time. Foskey is the biggest solution to the biggest problem this defense has in 2023. He is a great fit for everything we want to accomplish. But he may be too rich for our blood. I consistently see him with a 1st round rating, he fits both 4-3 and 3-4 defenses, and if he crushes the Combine, he may leak into the Top Ten, which is where I'd put him. If the Chiefs can get within screaming distance of trading up for him, that's it. You've made the biggest move that will reverberate across the entire defense. He'll deliver his rookie season, and will only get more lethal as the seasons go by. |
RB Sean Tucker, Syracuse
Where you rank Tucker will depend on what exactly you think has happened this season. Entering the season, he was thought of as a dark horse threat for the Heisman, between his good feature back size and fantastic breakaway speed to house touchdowns. Since then, he just... hasn't been great. He's been good, and draftable, but he's not been great, a threat to go in the 1st round and a slam dunk 2nd day pick. What happened this year, is honestly up to people who watch the Orangeman closer than I do. Personally, I think the offensive line has been better this season than it was last season, even though they've had some injury concerns. Ultimately, this goes back to a philosophy change I believe the Chiefs should make, and just completely commit to power running and gap schemes. This has paid dividends with Pacheco, and 2021 Tucker leaves Pacheco in the dust, with the same skillset but better size and equivalent speed. 2022 Tucker honestly looks like a midround pick. If the Chiefs discern there's something holding Tucker back that I don't see, they may consider going earlier given how well he replicates (and potentially improves upon) Pacheco's skillset. But while I like him, wouldn't spend more than a 5th on him right now. |
RB Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
Maybe the biggest hole on the Chiefs roster isn't right tackle after all, if you're a believer in some of the work Andrew Wylie has put in (I'm not). But the sneakiest big hole on the Chiefs offense is just having a 220 lbs back who can slam into the line and earn a yard on 3rd and inches. And if the Chiefs offensive line keeps leaning into power and gap schemes, having a one-cut power back may be the answer. Enter Zach Charbonnet. This guy is an absolute wrecking ball when he gets moving, and I think he showcases good enough hands to be a weapon in the passing game at or near a Spencer Ware level of production. He's a surprisingly patient runner, too, which can get him in trouble but there is more than a little LeVeon Bell to his game. I mean the Bruins' run game is an absolutely meatgrinder to play against. He's missed some time with unclear injuries this season, though, so that's something teams will have to evaluate. I think there's a case to be made that he's a product of Chip Kelly's system in UCLA as well -- they just ran for 400 yards on Arizona State when Charbonnet was out. That being said, his skillset is promising, and he may very well be a 2nd rounder in this draft if his Combine delivers. For now, I like him at the end of the 2nd day. |
DT Byron Young, Alabama
Man, I really like Young. I wish he fit our defense better. He's a firey leader and a high effort guy. But Young needs to go to a 3-4 team that plays a lot of two-gapping. He'd be a great 5-tech in that scheme. He weighs in at 295 lbs, but he plays with the strength of a bigger guy. Extremely thick arms that hold OL off his body, before he casts them aside to swallow the run. In a scheme where they ask you to hold your block and free up the linebackers, he may be worth a 2nd day pick or a 4th rounder. As it stands, we do not run that scheme. We ask our DTs to largely shoot gaps, which he can't do effectively. We also ask them to try to create some passrushing production, which he cannot do. He makes sense for the Chiefs in the late rounds, if at all, and only if the Chiefs have done next to nothing at the 1-tech position. Young can give you rotational 1-tech snaps in our defense, but he's not of use much of anywhere else. I really like his skillset but I don't see how the Chiefs could spend any more than a 6th rounder on it. |
RB Eric Gray, Oklahoma
We had a whole lot of questions about OU heading into this season, and Gray was one of them, given that his career there so far had been middling and disappointing. And while Oklahoma has failed to fulfill many expectations, Gray has exploded through them. Gray is (mostly) the guy that the Chiefs thought they drafted when they selected Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round. Quicker than fast, good change of directions, undersized and lacking in long speed, utilizes his football IQ to find open space in the passing game. Gray is 100% all of that, but he is mostly unproven in the passing game in the way Clyde was coming out of LSU. Gray has shown good hands, and I get the impression of him that he's exceptionally smart, so I'd like to see how he does in interviews when asked about route concepts. For now, he looks like a really smart, solid contributor who can find creases, get the yards he's supposed to get and maybe more sometimes, who can grow into a really solid passing weapon as well, and serve as a "glue guy" in the locker room. |
Man Ya'll this team needs Jordan Addison.
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Foskey would be a nice pick at DE.
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foskey seems like an obvious pick for us, if we can get him. zach charbonnet looks interesting, but i don't really want to take a running back in the early rounds either.
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Foskey
Jared Verse Andre Carter II BJ Ojulari All guys that would be a nice match for the Chiefs long-term opposite Karlaftis. |
I am intrigued by Siaki Ika. Anyone else? Seems like rare size, speed and some decent moves to boot.
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I would rather get a top level interior guy than a second rate edge guy. |
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Is a 3rd enough to get from 31 to 20, though? |
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The only thing that Foskey doesn't have is elite bend. It's better than Karlaftis but it's nowhere near his best trait. I'm not sure if Spags looks for that though at this point.
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With his quickness, speed-rush ability, and ability to convert speed to power, if Foskey had elite bend, too, he'd be a top 5 draft candidate rather than top 20-25. |
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Can you develop bend? Is that one of those innate things like accuracy for a qb that you can tweak and improve somehwat, but it's more of a "you have or you don't" things? I think speed to power and strength is something you can add to a rusher. I'm not sure you can really improve bend. |
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All the reports I've seen on him are that he CAN bend and that he has speed to burn. |
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I will just drop this here. I think Ika would be a legitimate pick at the end of the first round. Crazy nimble and explosive, 6'4" 350? He will demand doubles, and interior pass rush will amplify the performance of GK and whatever gem we find in the draft this year to replace clark |
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Here's some guys I like man... not going to give big scouting reports on them though right now. It'll grow, I'll move guys up and down.
QB Clayton Tune, Houston (6'3" 220) - 5th QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA (6'1" 205) - 6th QB Aidan O'Connell, Purdue (6'3" 210) - 7th QB Tim DeMorat, Fordham (6'4" 220) - UDFA QB Max Duggan, TCU (6'2" 210) - UDFA QB Tanner Mordecai, SMU (6'2" 211) - UDFA QB Devin Leary, NC State (6'1" 212) - UDFA QB Sam Hartman, Wake Forest (6'1" 210) - UDFA RB/WR Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama (5'9" 199) - 1st RB Zach Charbonnet, UCLA (6'1" 220) - 3rd RB Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh (5'10" 215) - 3rd RB Tyjae Spears, Tulane (5'10" 200) - 3rd RB Sean Tucker, Syracuse (5'10" 209) - 4th RB Tank Bigsby, Auburn (6'0" 208) - 4th RB Chase Brown, Illinois (5'10" 205) - 4th RB Kenny McIntosh, Georgia (6'0" 210) - 5th RB Kendre Miller, TCU (6'0" 220) - 5th RB DeWayne McBride, UAB (5'11" 215) - 5th RB Roschon Johnson, Texas (6'2" 222) - 5th RB Eric Gray, Oklahoma (5'10" 210) - 6th RB Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota (5'11" 215) - 6th RB Evan Hull, Northwestern (5'11" 210) - 6th RB Khalan Laborn, Marshall (5'11" 215) - 6th (FSU dismissal vetting req'd) RB Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State (5'6" 180) - 7th RB Deneric Prince, Tulsa (6'0" 216) - 7th OT Paris Johnson, Ohio State (6'6" 315) - 1st OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern (6'4" 300) - 1st OT Broderick Jones, Georgia (6'4" 315) - 1st OT Anton Harrison, Oklahoma (6'5" 309) - 1st OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee (6'6" 335) - 1st OT Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse (6'5" 322) - 2nd OT Tyler Steen, Alabama (6'5" 325) - 2nd OT Wanya Morris, Oklahoma (6'6" 308) - 2nd OT Blake Freeland, BYU (6'7" 310) - 3rd OT Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland (6'5" 320) - 3rd OT Warren McClendon, Georgia (6'5" 300) - 4th OT Luke Haggard, Indiana (6'6" 305) - 5th OT Connor Galvin, Baylor (6'7" 305) - 5th OT Isaac Moore, Temple (6'6" 305) - 6th OT Ryan Hayes, Michigan (6'6" 307) - 6th OT Carter Warren, Pittsburgh (6'5" 315) - 6th OC Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame (6'4" 310) - 2nd OG Nick Broeker, Ole Miss (6'5" 305) - 3rd OG Braeden Daniels, Utah (6'4" 300) - 4th OG Caleb Chandler, Louisville (6'5" 300) - 5th OG Cody Mauch, North Dakota State (6'5" 305) - 4th OG Dylan Wonnum, South Carolina (6'4" 323) - 5th WR Quentin Johnston, TCU (6'4" 215) - 1st WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee (6'0" 185) - 1st WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State (6'1" 198) - 1st WR Zay Flowers, Boston College (5'10" 185) - 2nd WR Cedric Tillman, Tennessee (6'2" 215) - 2nd WR Josh Downs, North Carolina (5'10" 171) - 2nd WR Rashee Rice, SMU (6'0" 205) - 2nd WR A.T. Perry, Wake Forest (6'4" 205) - 2nd WR Tyler Scott, Cincinnati (5'10" 177) - 3rd WR Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State (6'3" 210) - 3rd WR Trey Palmer, Nebraska (6'1" 190) - 3rd WR Marvin Mims, North Carolina (5'10" 175) - 3rd WR Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss (6'2" 225) - 3rd WR Xavier Smith, FAU (5'10" 170) - 4th WR Jayden Reed, Michigan State (6'0" 185) - 4th WR Ronnie Bell, Michigan (6'0" 190) - 5th WR Jermaine Burton, Alabama (6'0" 200) - 5th WR Jesse Matthews, San Diego State (6'0" 190) - 6th WR Rakim Jarrett, Maryland (6'0" 190) - 7th WR Demario Douglas, Liberty (5'8" 170) - 7th WR Keylon Stokes, Tulsa (5'10" 188) - 7th WR Nikko Remigio, Fresno State (5'10" 185) - UDFA WR Josh Vann, South Carolina (5'11" 190) - UDFA TE Payne Durham, Purdue (6'5" 255) - 3rd TE Josh Whyle, Cincinnati (6'6" 245) - 3rd TE Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State (6'5" 255) - 3rd TE Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan (6'6" 250) -4th TE Cameron Latu, Alabama (6'5" 250) - 4th TE Davis Allen, Clemson (6'6" 250) - 5th TE Will Mallory, Miami (6'5" 245) - 5th TE Ben Sims, Baylor (6'4" 256) - 5th TE Austin Stogner, South Carolina (6'6" 262) - 6th DT Siaki Ika, Baylor (6'3" 350) - 2nd DT Mazi Smith, Michigan (6'2" 337) - 2nd DT Gervon Dexter, Florida (6'5" 315) - 2nd DT Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin (6'4" 317) - 2nd DT Zacch Pickens, South Carolina (6'3" 305) - 3rd DT Jaquelin Roy, LSU (6'4" 295) - 3rd DT Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh (6'0" 280) - 3rd DT Byron Young, Alabama (6'3" 297) - 4th DT D.J. Dale, Alabama (6'3" 300) - 4th DT Kobie Turner, Wake Forest (6'3" 290) - 4th DT Dante Stills, West Virginia (6'2" 289) - 4th DT Moro Ojomo (6'2" 284) - 5th DT Tyler Lacy, Oklahoma State (6'3" 295) - 5th DT Brodric Martin, Western Kentucky - 6th DT Jonah Tavai, San Diego State (6'0" 295) - 7th ER Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame (6'4" 260) - 1st ER Lucas VanNess, Iowa (6'5" 270) - 1st ER Derick Hall, Auburn (6'3" 256) - 2nd ER Keion White, Georgia Tech (6'5" 280) - 2nd ER B.J. Ojulari, LSU (6'3" 244) - 2nd ER Will McDonald IV, Iowa State (6'3" 250) - 2nd ER Felix Anudike-Uzomah (6'3" 255) - 2nd ER Tuli Tuipulotu, USC (6'4" 290) - 2nd ER Dylan Horton, TCU (6'4" 270) - 3rd ER Andre Carter II, Army (6'6" 250) - 3rd ER Isaiah McGuire, Missouri (6'4" 267) - 3rd ER Thomas Incoom, Central Michigan (6'4" 260) - 4th ER Eku Leota, Auburn (6'4" 256) - 4th ER Tyrus Wheat, Mississippi State (6'2" 265) - 4th ER Viliami "Junior" Fohoko, Jr., San Jose State (6'4" 263) - 5th ER Habakkuk Baldonado, Pitt (6'5" 255) - 6th ER Jamal Hines, Toledo (6'3" 260) - 7th LB Nick Herbig, Wisconsin (6'2" 227) - 2nd LB Owen Pappoe, Auburn (6'1" 226) - 2nd LB DeMarvion Overshown, Texas (6'4" 225) - 3rd LB Dorian Williams, Tulane (6'1" 220) - 4th LB Ivan Pace, Jr., Cincinnati (6'0" 235) - 4th LB James Patterson, Buffalo (6'0" 232) - 5th LB Shaka Heyward, Duke (6'4" 220) - 5th LB Isaiah Moore, NC State (6'1" 232) - 6th LB Amari Gainer, Florida State (6'3" 237) - 5th (pass rush type) LB Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross (6'0" 231) - 7th CB Kalee Ringo, Georgia (6'2" 199) - 1st CB Garrett Williams, Syracuse (5'10" 190) - 3rd CB Riley Moss, Iowa (6'1" 195) - 3rd CB Rejzohn Wright, Oregon State (6'2" 200) - 5th CB Darrell Luter, Jr., South Alabama (6'0" 190) - 6th CB Nic Jones, Ball State (6'0" 190) - 7th DB Ji'Ayir Brown, Penn State (5'11" 208) - 2nd DB Ronnie Hickman, Ohio State (6'1" 207) - 3rd DB Jartavius Martin, Illinois (5'11" 194) - 3rd/High 4th DB Kaevon Merriweather, Iowa (6'0" 212) - 4th DB Avery Young, Rutgers (6'0" 205) - 5th DB Christopher Smith, Georgia (5'11" 190) - 4th DB Bee Jay Williamson, Louisiana Tech (5'11" 190) - 6th DB Trey Dean, Florida (6'2" 207) - 6th DB Brandon Hill, Pittsburgh (5'11" 195) - 6th |
Dalton Kincaid is the best college TE in the country. He's got perennial all-pro written all over him. That being said, we're too stacked at that position to use the high pick it's going to take to get him.
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OT Broderick Jones, Georgia
The more film you see on Jones, and the more you read on him, the less likely it is that he will remain on the board by the time the Chiefs select. There is an athletic profile that the NFL craves in its tackles, and Jones is the epitome of that skillset. He is athletic in ways that are just unfair; he has fantastic length, great size, moves easy, with a kickslide that can set him deep or shallow if need be, and everything you need for a nimble, dancing bear in pass protection to someone who can drop plow and stone a bullrush. It's easy to forget, though, that Jones "only" has a little under two years starting experience, his technique is all over the place, in both the pass and the run game. So the question is, how fast do you think he can learn on the job, and that's something teams will have to figure out in interviews. I think we all broadly agree that the most sensible policy at left tackle in 2023 is to tag Orlando Brown, draft a stud tackle high, and have them learn on the job at right tackle before taking over left tackle in 2024. Jones will be able to physically do everything the Chiefs ask of him if he lasts long enough to get draft, but the question is how much do you trust Andy Heck to mold a left tackle out of him by 2024. I'd put the odds at very high. |
DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
One of the players this forum should watch closely throughout the draft process as a second day prospect is Anudike-Uzomah. How does he do in interviews, how does he look in drills, what do the rumor mills say about team research into his character and work ethic. This forum in particular has argued that the Chiefs should hunt for speedy, situational passrush demons on the 2nd day of the draft, and Anudike-Uzomah fits that bill. Given that he's 6'3" 255 lbs, he is not a "traditional" Spags DE and is probably best suited as a 3-4 rushbacker, but the Chiefs have shown proclivities to look at rushers his size if everything else about him checks out, which is why they were so intrigued by Mike Danna. He has great explosion, and can destroy the edge, turning on a dime and attacking the pocket around tackles -- when his technique is on. And that's the kicker. Anudike-Uzomah is more athletic and explosive than Danna, but he's nowhere near as sound technically. He is extremely raw, especially in the run game where he just seems completely lost. His ability to contribute in his first year will be only in obvious passing situations. But he has Elvis Dumervil upside to me, if you're patient enough to teach him the position. I'd consider spending a 3rd on that. Edit (1/3): I've been watching the TCU games the last couple weeks they played and I'm upping FAU to a 2nd. |
This might sound crazy. And I’m not sure it isn’t. But man, TE Darnell Washington has me intrigued. Especially since he’s trending towards being a first rounder. But 6’7 270. And is a FREAK. An absolute eraser as a blocker, and has unlimited potential as a receiver. Andy has obviously been infatuated with multiple tight end sets the last couple years. Plus Kelce isn’t getting any younger.
Still would rather go DT or another edge. But I honestly think I might go Washington over WR |
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Bottom of the 2nd may be doubtful for him being there, much less bottom of 3. A bit similar to Drake Jackson but a bit more productive. I don't know, but I'm guessing he's going to end up a top-50 guy. |
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That being said, I'm not in the interview rooms, and I'm not testing these guys behind the scenes. If he shows out there, who knows. |
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Just seen Dane Brugler's first mock draft. Interesting where he has people going as they are much higher up than a lot of the big boards I have seen going round.
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DT Bryan Bresee, Clemson
Bresee makes sense for the Chiefs under exactly one circumstance: if the Chiefs foresee being unable to retain Chris Jones. I think this is unlikely, but it's very on brand for the Chiefs to use draft picks to prepare for future departures. Bresee is a very active, one-gap shooting tackle who explodes out of his stance to menace backfields. He gives up some size to Jones (6'5", 300 lbs to Jones' 320) but he somehow has room on his frame to bulk up. He was the #1 recruit in the nation, and was largely thought to eventually end up as a Top 10 pick in 2023 -- until disaster struck and he tore his ACL. ACL's are not the death sentence that they once were, and his tape in 2022 has been very strong, though not the elite wrecking ball stuff we saw before his injury. The Combine and medicals will go a long way to determining if he's still Top 10 material. If he's not, the Chiefs have as good a medical staff as anyone in the league and they're uncharacteristically patient with player development. He makes some sense as a trade-up candidate or staying put at our pick in the 1st. |
Foskey Ika round 1 and round 2 would be a nice scenario.
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Gonna require a Brown extension, probably, though. |
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I'm having some major doubts about that. That's not even considering Foskey slipping to late 1, which I think is unlikely too but maybe not as unlikely as Ika at 60ish. |
OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee
There are two analyses of Wright, and which one you venture down is going to depend on how Wright interviews and performs during draft season. Put simply, Wright is a massive, former-five-star tackle with fantastic length, high character off the field, and Trey Smith levels of brutality on the field. He is a pretty good technician, but isn't the top end nimble athlete you'd expect of a franchise LT -- for now. That's where the analyses diverge. At 6'5', 330 lbs, you could bring him in to be your right tackle of the future, and alongside Humprey and Smith, create the nastiest right side of the line in football. He's got the look, right now, of a career right tackle for a power run team, which right now is where the strength of the Chiefs OL is. He could be a great fit at that position. The question: can you get him to lose some weight and increase his athleticism to have him lock down LT? At the very least, if that experiment doesn't work out, you could just keep him slotted at RT. Personally, I think he's a pretty good fit for the Chiefs if they feel Orlando Brown's contract demands are a bridge too far, but he's not the slam dunk replacement at the LT position. Five cap-controlled years of a really good RT is a really good backup option. I'm going to see how all the testing turns out, but right now he might be in the running for the Chiefs' first pick. |
Am I missing something Jaxon Smith-Njigba? Outproduced Olave and Wilson at Ohio last year but most people are putting him down as a late first round pick.
Wright looks promising but most people seem to have him as a late second round/early third round pick. Would be great if we could get an edge in the first and a starting right tackle in the 2nd. |
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DE Tuli Tuipulotu is a guy I think deserves some talk. Dude is playing great football. He's a big end but he's pretty quick. I likes.
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S Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
This isn't relevant or anything, but the amusing thing about the 2020 NFL Draft is that we spent our first selection on RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and a 4th on CB L'Jarius Sneed. We all grouse about the Edwards-Helaire selection but honestly if the Chiefs had taken Sneed with that 1st and Clyde with that 4th, it all would have slotted perfectly. I just mention that because Antonio Johnson is the closest this draft has to L'Jarius Sneed, and would be a good candidate for our 1st round pick. He is a tall, rangy defensive back who shows great athleticism and instincts, though with his 6'3" height I'll be interested to see how fluid he is at the Combine. He blitzes, he plays man, he plays shallow zones, he plays nickel linebacker. He's the complete package and he fits Spags' defense to a T. The only problem is that we already have a Sneed, of course. I think we all expect Sneed to end up extended this year or re-signed next year. In the off chance the Chiefs find Sneed too rich for their blood (chances I'd regard as very low), getting a replacement for him a year ahead of schedule fits what the team has historically liked to do. |
DT Siaki Ika, Baylor
My draft crush that I wish the Chiefs could have landed in 2022 was Jordan Davis, a 350 lbs blockers-eating monster who also had the burst to get up field and threaten the backfield. Combined with Chris Jones and choice personnel additions elsewhere, that would have solved virtually all of the Chiefs DL problems for the 2022 season, DL problems that I believe are still the team's biggest Achilles heel. Ika is not Jordan Davis, not even on this forum, where he's gotten a lot of juice as a potential pick. Seen by some as a successor to Vita Vea's style, his gargantuan size, bear-level strength and phone booth quickness would look great in front of Nick Bolton, who is ready to become a Top 3 linebacker in the NFL the second he gets a true blocker-eating NT in front of him. The question of course, is whether he's Vita Vea, who is an indispensable, three-down NT who clogs the run and gives you juice in the passrush, or if he's Danny Shelton, a one-dimensional (if effective) plugger. I think he's somewhere in the middle, but I worry he's Phil Taylor. His strength and size are unquestionable but I worry primarily about his effectiveness on 3rd down. I also have slight concerns about arm length, but I just read about that, I have no literal idea about it yet. Right now I have him in my head as a 2nd day pick, but the Senior Bowl and Combine will tell us a lot more about where he stands relative to his peers. |
The WR FA class is going to be pretty weak, any mid-tier WRs you guys like? 3rd or 4th rounders…..
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RB Tank Bigsby, Auburn
All needs being equal, all things considered, where would you have been willing to take RB Isiah Pacheco knowing what we know now? I think we'd consider taking him late 2nd day, early 3rd day. Well if you dial Pacheco's talents up a notch -- just a notch -- that's probably what you get with Bigsby. Watching Bigsby tape, about 90% of the time, seems extremely similar to watching Pacheco tape. He is an angry north-south runner who makes one cut, hits a crease, and if need be can turn on the burners. He's also shown increasing use in the passing game, upping his receptions each season -- though I'd like to see how he fares at the Senior Bowl and Combine on those fronts. The Senior Bowl will be fascinating, too, because he'll have actual blocking for that, rather than the notoriously bad blocking Auburn gave him this year. The additional notch that Bigsby has that Pacheco doesn't, is that he's got some wiggle. There are plenty of moments over the past season where free defenders crashing blitzers bring heat to Bigsby and he sometimes has the ability to exhibit insanely quick lateral speed. I'd like to see how he tests, but right now he has the look of an above average starter. I'd give him hard looks in the 3rd, but if he tests great, I may move him a round. |
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Huh. Let me get into them. |
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We really need an all-big ugly draft.
We need OT's, DE's, DT's. We're in good enough shape everywhere else that we could afford to not even look at anything else until third day. Yeah, yeah, I know, BAA, have to see how the draft falls, must be prudent, yeah, yeah. I'm just sayin'. |
DT Gervon Dexter, Florida
Allow me to soothe the savage nerves of the grown men of ChiefsPlanet, who belly-ached my warnings of a Bengals loss, dismissing it as the paranoia of a pessimist with delusions of grandeur. The loss was not a fluke; it was the result of the Bengals wisely capitalizing on a few weaknesses the Chiefs exhibit across the board. One of those weaknesses was the Chiefs' willingness to plug in Mike Danna at DT regularly in """"obvious passing downs"""", which apparently includes 2nd and 7, now, Spags? C'mon. The Bengals ran power right at him. (Of course, they ran power with success at everyone.) Truth is, the Chiefs plug Danna in there because they miss Tershawn Wharton, but I don't know if Wharton solves the problem either. The Chiefs ideally need a run plugger on this team who can shoot gaps for a passrush. And Gervon Dexter is the perfect fit for that role. At a Chris Jones-ish 6'5", 320 lbs, he's more of a notched-down Fletcher Cox: strong and shockingly quick in the passing game, but still a load to move against the run. It's still unclear to me if he is any kind of a plugging 1-tech like Spags traditionally likes, but Tershawn Wharton out-snapped all the run-pluggers anyways. If you're going to emphasize the need for that second penetrative tackle, why not find a guy who can fill that role and keep your DL's size maximized to dictate to the offense? I think Dexter would be an outstanding get for this team, and even more urgent if they don't think Jones is financially extend-able. |
S J.L. Skinner, Boise State
Watching the Chiefs fall this past week, I kept thinking back to watching JL Skinner lay some lumber for Boise State all year. Teams just absolutely do not care about challenging the Chiefs across the middle: S Juan Thornhill is not remotely physical enough to punish the middle of the field. To Veach's credit, that's exactly what we acquired S Bryan Cook for, but it's unclear to us outside Arrowhead One Drive if they think Cook is ready to ascend into the space that Thornhill will soon vacate. Maybe, at the end of the day, Cook is a third safety. Time (and the coaching staff) will tell. If he isn't, let me try to fix all of our Thornhill problems with Skinner. Skinner is everything we ask Thornhill to do and hope Cook can someday do. He's long at 6'4" but a track star, built for tight end coverage. He spent a lot of time as a two-deep safety in Cover Two, where his speed translates. And he patrols the middle of the field to "tax" teams that try to challenge us there. All those hits that WR JuJu Smith-Schuster gets, Skinner can deliver to other teams. He can be part of the solution at safety. (Again, this is all based on how Cook continues to progress.) That said, the Combine and Senior Bowl will be critical viewing for him. He is faster-than-quick, so will he be a liability in coverage against slot receivers? I have him right now as a 3rd, but I could see that dropping as far as the 5th if he tests poorly, or a 2nd if he answers those concerns unquestionably. |
OT Anton Harrison, Oklahoma
One of the most underrated storylines of this season has been a roster, assembled by Brett Veach, at war a little bit against Andy Reid's tendencies. (Really it's been like that for a couple years.) The offensive line is big, mean, powerful, and not as smoothly athletic as Reid's lines in the past, backed up by less dynamic RBs who thrive plowing downhill. All of this is represented by the 350 lbs monster at LT, who the Chiefs are probably exploring replacing. But including Brown, the Chiefs OL is loaded with young, powerful talent that will have long careers in the NFL. So what will it be? Can Reid continue to field a power OL that he's not used to? Or will he make motions towards re-athleticizing the line? Harrison is an Eric Fisher clone, and drafting him would return the Chiefs left side of the line to the athletic zone blocking that Reid likes (or, at least, hates less than all other forms of running). Literally everything you read about Harrison is Fisher. He's a fantastic athlete (Fisher was probably better there), he's got some technique work to clean up. He's going to mirror very well, he's going to struggle with power. He's going to wall off run defenders, but he's not going to plow through them. etc etc If you took 2013 prospect Eric Fisher, probably dialed the "technique" knob up a notch, and the "athlete" knob down a notch, you get Harrison. I think he's a 1st round pick, and is very possible in our neighborhood of our pick if we want him. But I don't know if he's what this offensive line, or Andy Reid, wants right now. |
WR Rashee Rice, SMU
The depth chart for the WR room for 2023 as it stands on this date in history: Valdez-Scantling, Toney, Moore, Justyn Ross. Justin Watson is a safe re-sign, which I would. JuJu would bring this WR corps close to completion, and I'd absolutely extend him. The Chiefs need his toughness, his fantastic hands, his YAC, his rapport with Mahomes. But holy smokes. If JuJu is a bridge too far, allow me to sell you a guy with the JuJu skillset and Pro Bowl upside. Rashee Rice is a fantastic, big-bodied, angry-as-hell, hard blocking, jump ball dominating, alpha personality pissant who will put your DB in the turf first chance he gets. His film is so much fun, don't let the small school deter you: this is a guy who would start on any offense in college football. And in Kansas City? He'd pair with Kadarius Toney to give you the angriest WR room in the NFL. That said, he's going to go dormant for a year, Skyy Moore style, as Andy Reid basically teaches him how to play an NFL route tree. His responsibilities at SMU have been extremely straight forward; he's never had to make the myriad of calculations that Reid asks of you. I trust Reid for that development, however, and this guy could be a Pro Bowl replacement for JuJu in Year 2. Slam dunk pick at the end of the 1st (if you're not already eyeing a more critical position for the team). |
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