Now that the compensatory picks have been released, our friends over at Draft Wire have released fresh 7-round mock draft projections. This is the first mock draft from Draft Wire for the Kansas City Chiefs with the correct draft slots for their fourth and fifth-round selections. Keep in mind the Chiefs don’t currently have any picks beyond the fifth round. That could change in the future if they make some trades.
Here’s a look at Luke Easterling’s choices for the Chiefs along with my thoughts on those choices.
32. Iowa DL A.J. Epenesa
The first-round pick for the Chiefs remains unchanged from Easterling’s post-combine mock draft. You can read about that pick here. Epenesa is a player that previously had some hype as one of the top players in this class. A bad combine performance has draft analyst’s unsure of where he’ll land.
One thing is for certain, the fans of Kansas City like the idea of adding Epenesa. Here are a few comments from our Facebook feed on the article linked above:
“I would be way too excited to trade my black and gold ‘Eppy’ jersey in for a red and gold one,” said Tim Van Zee.
“As an Iowa boy, this is my dream pick this draft,” said Adam Johnson
“I would be shocked if he lasts until 32,” said Randy Rodi
A tried and true draft strategy is to reinforce the trenches early. I could certainly see the defensive line getting a new piece like Epenesa in the 2020 NFL draft.
63. Virginia CB Bryce Hall
If Hall declared early and come out for the 2019 NFL draft, many believed he would have been a top-50 pick. Hall was not only the top corner in the ACC in 2018, but he led the nation in pass breakups with 21. That number was good for the fourth-most in college football since 2005. He didn’t get much of a chance to build on that performance in 2019 because of a season-ending injury suffered in Week 6.
At least one Chiefs player loves the idea of bringing Hall to Kansas City.
Hall and Thornhill were teammates at Virginia. They could make for a formidable young secondary in Kansas City for the next few seasons.
Hall didn’t participate at the combine but measured in at his exact listed height and weight of 6-feet-1 and 202 pounds. That’s always a good sign in my eyes.
96. South Carolina WR Bryan Edwards
Edwards is a guy who checks a lot of the boxes. Listed at 6-feet-3 and 215 pounds, he has prototypical size. On the tape, Edwards showcases technique, physicality and makes some ridiculous catches. He’s open even when he isn’t open, which makes him a quarterback’s best friend. From a stats standpoint, he just so happens to be the all-time leader in receptions (234) and receiving yards (3,045) for South Carolina.
Previously, Edwards was a player expected to be a pre-draft riser but circumstance has since worked against him. First, he pulled out of the Senior Bowl. Then he broke his foot while training and missed the NFL combine. It’s likely he won’t be ready to test at his pro day either. This has caused Edwards to fly under the radar and if he’s healthy it could make him a prime mid-round target for the Chiefs.
138. Boston College RB A.J. Dillon
One of the biggest standouts at the 2020 NFL combine, Dillon turned a lot of heads in Indianapolis. You can find his complete combine workout numbers here.
From a physical perspective, I can see Brett Veach falling in love with the prospect. He’s previously mentioned how he looks at players that are 5-feet-11 and 220 pounds as the prototype running back to hold up in the NFL game. Dillon is listed at 6-foot and 247 pounds and runs a 4.53 40-yard dash. He’s unique and I think that’ll get some attention from the NFL.
Despite his performance at the combine, I’m still a little lukewarm on Dillon’s fit with the Chiefs. He seems better suited for a power scheme that will let him run downhill often. He’s not a great East-West runner and seems to have better acceleration when he’s working North-South.
Additionally, Kansas City doesn’t want to take the ball out of Patrick Mahomes’ hands. Dillon has just 21 career receptions in three seasons at Boston College. However, two of those receptions went for touchdowns. It’s possible he didn’t get enough opportunity there in his college offense, but the Chiefs would need to work him out thoroughly to see if he’s a fit for their passing game.
177. Oregon OL Jake Hanson
Hanson would be a good fit in the Chiefs’ zone-blocking scheme because of his athleticism. He can get out into space and move well, but sometimes he struggles to locate and get his hands on defenders. He clearly has the mentality that an offensive lineman needs to have to succeed in the NFL. He’s trying to dominate the guy that he’s lining up against and put them on their back.
In the NFL, Hanson needs to add more strength to his lower body. He put up 33 repetitions on the bench press at the combine, so he doesn’t need to worry much about the upper body strength. I can see him struggling to anchor in the NFL against some big and powerful defensive tackles.
Keep in mind that every true center that Chiefs Wire spoke with at the NFL combine told us that they hadn’t met with Kansas City. That group includes Hanson, who has started 49 games at center for the Ducks since 2016.
