With less than two weeks to go until the 2019 NFL draft, we’re beginning to understand more about the players that could face some challenges on Day 1.
Not every projected first-round pick will end up as one. Here is a look at a few players who could fall to the Chiefs at pick No. 29 and why they might be falling.
LSU CB Andraez ‘Greedy’ Williams
Williams has been regarded as the top corner prospect in this draft class since early on. However, there have been some questions about his effort level and character as the process has gone on. Situations like this typically prompt teams to more thoroughly research the player, but thus far that hasn’t exactly been the case with Williams.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Williams has yet to take a top-30 visit with a team. He had some dinners and meetings with teams, but none have brought him in for a pre-draft visit. Rapoport noted this isn’t a good or bad thing, but it is quite peculiar. For a player that wasn’t at the Senior Bowl and hasn’t had much pre-draft exposure, you’d think teams would be bringing him in to get to the bottom of the concerns with him.
Another thing that has become apparent as the pre-draft process has gone on is that the NFL isn’t too high on this crop of corners. The ones who everyone hoped would perform well in athletic testing didn’t. Teams are doing their homework on those who did perform well. It’s entirely possible that Williams could be waiting to hear his name called until the end of Day 1.
Adding Williams to a Kansas City secondary that will feature former LSU great Tyrann Mathieu is an exciting thought.
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Iowa TE T.J. Hockenson
In 2017, three tight ends were selected in the first round, but none of them went before the No. 19 pick. Before that year, the last time more than one tight end was drafted in the first round was 2006. The truth is, the NFL hasn’t traditionally valued the tight end position all that highly. There’s some suspicion that could change with this loaded draft class, but if history is any indication, it shouldn’t be expected.
Hockenson’s former Iowa teammate Noah Fant had much better pre-draft testing at the combine, and a lot of teams view him as the top TE prospect in the draft. That means Hockenson could be in a tumble to the latter half of Day 1.
Conveniently, Hockenson is a Chiefs fan himself, so this would be quite the match were it to happen.
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Michigan DL Rashan Gary
There’s a strong belief that Gary was miscast in the Michigan defense. A former No. 1 overall recruit out of high school, Gary produced a stat sheet didn’t live up to expectations.
There’s little denying his freak athleticism and penchant for some splashy plays during his time at Michigan, but where does he project in the NFL? There are other players in this class with more production and fewer questions about fit. With such depth to this defensive line class that lack of consistency leaves potential to push Gary down in the draft.
The Chiefs are looking for a specific type of defensive lineman in this draft. They want versatility, which means guys who can play base end or reduce inside at defensive tackle. Specifically they want to find guys who have experience on twists and stunts, which Gary took part in at Michigan.
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Ole Miss WR D.K. Metcalf
There’s a variety of talents and skill sets at wide receiver in this class, which makes it all the more difficult to stack them up against one another. Will teams place value on size, speed or college production? It’s not yet entirely clear.
Just two days ago, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah claimed he wouldn’t be shocked if only one wide receiver was taken in the first round. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this either — it seems there’s a belief that NFL teams see this receiver group as one that doesn’t have many No. 1s.
Metcalf stole the show at February’s combine. He ran a 40-yard dash time that is simply unheard of for guys his size. There’s a chance that a team falls in love with his size and athleticism, but he hasn’t exactly checked every box. He has just 67 receptions in his entire college career, which is not a lot. The last receiver with fewer than 100 college receptions to be drafted in the first round was Kelvin Benjamin in 2014. Metcalf also suffered a season-ending neck injury in 2018. Those two concerns won’t be alleviated so easily.
I have a hard time believing that Andy Reid couldn’t find a way to make Metcalf great in the NFL based on his athletic ability.
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