Quite a few things have changed for the Chiefs since our second mock draft. They’ve have signed a full class of free agents including Tyrann Mathieu, Damien Wilson, Alex Okafor and Bashaud Breeland. They’ve released and traded away some key veteran players like Justin Houston, Eric Berry and Dee Ford. They’ve also traded for defensive ends Emmanuel Ogbah and most recently Frank Clark. It’s a defensive overhaul in Kansas City.
In the trade for Clark the Chiefs have forfeited their first-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, so the Chiefs will no longer come on the clock at pick No. 29. They also swapped picks with the Seahawks in the third-round, moving up a total of eight spots to pick No. 82.
Here are my latest thoughts on what the Chiefs might do when they first come on the clock.
Round 2 No. 61: Alabama S Deionte Thompson
Chiefs GM Brett Veach was open about his thoughts on this draft class during his pre-draft conference. One of the striking comments about this class was how thin the safety group is. If any of the safeties on their board are available at pick No. 61, I expect them to prioritize them knowing they come on the clock again just one selection later.
Thompson is a player who came into the 2018 college football season with a ton of hype. That hype came from the range, ball skills and physicality he’d displayed the previous season. He built on that high level of play early in the 2018 season, but he also hit a bit of a wall as the season progressed.
The hype on Thompson has faded throughout the pre-draft process as he’s dealt with a wrist injury. He didn’t participate at the combine, but he did take meetings with teams, including a formal meeting with the Chiefs.
I tend to believe the Chiefs are looking to pair a free safety that can play the single high position with Tyrann Mathieu’s all-over skill set. Thompson has the range and long speed that still makes him one of the more intriguing players at the position.
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Round 2 No. 63: Central Michigan CB Sean Bunting
I’ve been saying since the combine that this cornerback class isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. It’s likely that the Chiefs have a lot of players graded in a similar range, they’ll be looking to take the best player available at some point in the first three rounds.
Bunting has received some hype as a prospect on the rise, given his 6-1 size and 4.41s speed displayed at the NFL Scouting Combine. The athleticism displayed in the pre-draft process also translates on the field. He’s got great change in direction ability, smooth hips and the ability to mirror and match receivers in coverage.
The 2017 season was the best of Bunting’s college career, but he’s also been fairly consistent throughout his career, with five passes defended and at least two interceptions in each of the last three seasons. The only statistical improvement in 2018 was an increase in tackles for loss.
The Chiefs first showed interest in Bunting at the CMU Pro Day, and they brought him in for a pre-draft visit afterwards.
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Round 3 No. 82: Notre Dame LB Te’Von Coney
Another position that Brett Veach seems to think is thin in this class is the linebacker group. I tend to believe it’s a class that’s thin at the top, but deeper in the middle and later half. I think the Chiefs want to get a guy who they can develop at the position, because next year they could see a lot of players leaving in free agency.
Coney is a player that has shown some dominant tape playing the run game. He has great gap discipline, all while avoiding traffic and wrapping up the ball carrier. He can take on and shed would-be blockers with ease. At 6-1 and 240 pounds, he’s built like a rock, but that doesn’t hurt his ability to move in short areas.
If there’s one weakness to Coney right now it’s his coverage skills. He doesn’t have great speed and unless he predicts the play at just the right moment he’s prone to getting caught out of position.
Coney and the Chiefs previously met at the Senior Bowl.
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Round 5 No. 167: Old Dominion WR Travis Fulgham
I think the Chiefs can wait on the wide receiver position in this class because there are so many intriguing skill sets this year.
Fulgham, for instance, isn’t going to be a WR for everyone. He doesn’t have great long speed, but his route running ability pops off the page. Specifically, his release in red zone work is a sight to behold. It caught my eye multiple times in the tape I saw from the Senior Bowl. The kid just knows how to get open in short areas and that’s important for NFL teams.
Another thing that Fulgham brings to the table is his size and physicality in the run game. He has a, “block you into the dirt” mentality when you line up across from him. Andy Reid is always looking for receivers who are willing to block.
This is a guy I want to see paired with Patrick Mahomes and the running game that the Chiefs are building. I think he fits right in and could work to replace what the Chiefs lost in Chris Conley.
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Round 6 No. 201: Utah State RB Darwin Thompson
Thompson is an interesting option for the Chiefs.
Brett Veach has mentioned in the past that he’s a big fan of the 5-11 225-pound RB that can do it all. Darwin Thompson is far from that physical description. He’s listed at about 5-8 and 200 pounds, but he definitely has the ability to impact the game at all facets.
Thompson has got that low center of gravity that helps him fight through contact. You’d be shocked to see the types of tackles he’s broken at his size, but he’s just tough to bring down. He also has some speed in the open field, and strong ability as a receiver. His pass protection needs some work, but that’s normal for college running backs.
The one thing that he’s lacking is special teams experience, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t do it at the next level.
The Chiefs have brought in Thompson for a pre-draft visit, so he’s certainly on their radar late in the draft.
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Round 6 No. 214: Maryland OT Derwin Gray
For a 6-4 and 330 pound offensive tackle, you’d expect different things out of a player like Gray. That size would typically describe a mauler in the run game, but playing the run actually might be his biggest weakness. Unless he’s faced with a heads up defender, he really struggles in the run game.
As a pass protector, Gray shows strong punch, great footwork and a level of physicality that reminds me of some old school NFL offensive tackles. He’s not terribly mobile at his size and will have a hard time with quicker players in space.
The Chiefs love grabbing developmental offensive linemen in the late rounds, and they’ve done a good job developing those guys recently. If Gray puts in some work, you could be looking at a franchise swing tackle in the NFL.
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Round 7 No. 216: Arkansas CB Ryan Pulley
One thing Brett Veach mentioned at the combine, was that sometimes in the late rounds you have to just trust the tape.
Pulley is a guy who hasn’t had a great pre-draft process, but during his sophomore and junior season he was extremely impressive in the SEC. In just 11 games played in 2018, he hauled in three interceptions and had six passes defended.
He showed off some really nice man coverage abilities, great physicality and confidence. In press coverage he’s particularly good at getting his jab in and disrupting routes. In man coverage that he isn’t pressing he does a really good job sticking with a guy, even if he’s at an athletic disadvantage.
As a former SEC scout, Veach would probably trust his gut on a player in his home turf.
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