|
DE Isaiah McGuire, Missouri
At the end of the day, the Chiefs need to simply make the smartest draft picks for the best possible values. I personally believe the biggest need the Chiefs have at this time is at edge rusher, but if the best value with their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks are at some combination of WR, OT, and S, I can't complain. And if that's the case, hell even if they pick a DE early, it's not often you see a DE with third-day credentials who, I think boasts the upside of a starter in the NFL. But I think Isaiah McGuire fits that mold.
He's not a first- or second-day pick, probably, because he seems to lack the athletic profile and some of the technique that those earlier picks demand, so the Combine will be critical for him if he wants to sneak into the second day. But he's no slouch: he is 6'4", 270, and plays as ferociously as you like from an edgerusher who may be backing up DE George Karlaftis. Like Karlaftis, McGuire's effort on every single play is off the charts, and his good size makes him a particularly difficult end to move in the run game.
His play has ascended every year he's been at Mizzou, suggesting he's superbly coachable. Combining this guy with DL coach Joe Cullen and maybe under DE Frank Clark's tutelage suggests he has as much of a chance to reach his upside in KC as anywhere else. He is only going to get stronger, which he needs to do, and he's only going to further clean up his technique. This is another guy who could be primed for a late-rookie-season production explosion, and I think he has a fair chance to become a starter down the line. That is fantastic value in the 4th.
|