The Kansas City Chiefs are your reigning Super Bowl champions. It doesn’t get old saying it, right?
With the 2019 season soon to be a thing of the past, the focus will turn to the 2020 NFL Draft and adding to the young nucleus of this football team. A monster contract is just around the corner for star QB Patrick Mahomes, and with it comes an added pressure of drafting well.
For the purposes of this mock draft, we’re still operating without the knowledge of what happens in free agency. That can and likely will change the strategy of how the team approaches things in April.
Keep in mind that the draft order beyond the third round is not final yet. The NFL hasn’t announced compensatory picks, and while the Chiefs are not projected to receive any, they’ll pick later in the fourth and fifth round because of compensatory picks added to rounds prior.
Also general manager Brett Veach only has five draft picks to work with right now. If we know anything about Veach, it’s that he’s unafraid to make trades in order to secure the players that he wants.
Round 1, Pick 32 – Arizona State WR Brandon Aiyuk
A bit of a curveball in the first round for the Chiefs. Right now, the most popular picks seem to be adding a running back or a cornerback at the end of the first round. In my eyes, if the Chiefs are to continue their success, they need to keep a healthy arsenal of weapons for QB Patrick Mahomes.
There’s a lot to like about Aiyuk’s game. He’s not the most refined route runner, however, he stills manages to find a way to win on vertical routes. He’s extremely explosive with the ball in his hands and capable of turning a quick slant into a 70-yard touchdown. He definitely has that extra gear that NFL teams are looking for.
Aiyuk didn’t play in the Senior Bowl, but Jim Nagy gave a glowing endorsement of the receiver.
“I haven’t met a team that doesn’t have Brandon Aiyuk graded above N’Keal Harry from last year,” Nagy said.
Harry, of course, also went to Arizona State and was drafted No. 32 overall in 2018.
There are two things that the Chiefs won’t like about Aiyuk’s game. First up is that he’s allergic to contact at the line of scrimmage. I think this can be coached out of him because he’s physical when working through contact with the ball in his hands. The next problem is that he’s not the most willing blocker. I’ve seen good reps from him working as a stalk blocker but other times he seems oblivious to the play around him. That’ll have to change in Kansas City, but again, I think that’s where coaching will come into play.
Round 2, Pick 63 – Ohio State LB Malik Harrison
Harrison is listed at just under 6-feet-3 and 246 pounds. He’s not the most athletic linebacker in this class, but he’s perhaps the most well-rounded player at the position that I’ve seen. When playing the run and the pass he has a certain acuity to his game that is quite appealing.
One thing the Chiefs have lacked in their rebuilt linebacker corp is a player who excels in coverage. During the week of practice leading up to the Senior Bowl and even during the game, Harrison proved that coverage is perhaps his biggest strength. For a passing league, having linebackers who can cover is increasingly important.
Harrison is an excellent form-tackler and you’ll remember when he hits you. He plays with his eyes in the backfield, takes good angles and has a good sense of his gap responsibilities. He doesn’t get out of position often and he isn’t phased by window dressing such as motion or shifts.
Perhaps the best thing for Kansas City is that Harrison is versatile. He can fill in at the MLB, SLB, or WLB spots in a pinch. He’s played all three for the Buckeyes and at a high level too. That protects the team in the event of injury or future departures at the position.
Round 3, Pick 96 – Fresno State IOL Netane Muti
Muti might be the most talented interior offensive lineman in this draft class, but it’s also hard to tell because injuries have derailed his college career. He’s played in just 19 total games since his true freshman season in 2016.
In 2016, Muti missed the entire season due to injury, he’d come back as a redshirt freshman in 2017 and he played lights out. Specifically, against No. 1 ranked Alabama he was matched up with defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne and more than held his own. He plays with a nasty streak and it was still evident against some of the toughest competition in the country.
Fast forward to the 2018 season and Muti suffered a season-ending Achilles injury early in the season. In 2019, he started three games for the Bulldogs at left guard before suffering a season-ending foot injury. During those three games, he only allowed one pressure against two Power 5 schools in USC and Minnesota according to PFF.
Playing through the whistle is Muti’s calling card, but he’s also a really smooth athlete. He glides on pulls and while blocking in space he carries a lot of power with him. If he can manage to stay healthy in the NFL he’ll be a homerun selection for whatever team manages to snag him.
Round 4, Pick 128 – Nebraska DT Khalil Davis
At 6-foot-1 and 308 pounds, Davis is lacking in ideal physical traits. He doesn’t have long arms or the length that NFL teams often desire. However, he’ll make up for it in a few areas. He’s quite explosive as an athlete, reportedly running a 4.63 40-yard dash with a 33-inch vertical at the US Army National Combine in 2014.
Another thing Davis frequently showcases is a relentless display of effort. This kid has a motor that just doesn’t quit and that alone can take you a long way in the NFL. It’s one of the reasons that he led the Cornhuskers in sacks (8.0) during the 2019 season.
Davis was the cream of the crop at the East-West Shrine game this year. He was practically unblockable in 1-on-1 repetitions and it’s not surprising to me. If you turn on his tape, there are few interior offensive linemen capable of handling his quickness and bend on the interior.
As a native of Blue Springs, Missouri, you can bet that Davis grew up a Kansas City Chiefs fan and was cheering them on during Super Bowl LIV. One thing that Brett Veach has always touted is not letting the best prospects get out of your own backyard and this would definitely fall under that scenario. Expect the Chiefs to invite Davis and his twin brother Carlos to their local Pro Day in the future.
Round 5, Pick 160 – Tulsa CB Reggie Robinson II
I know what you’re about to say: “Waiting until the fifth round to draft a cornerback?”
When you look at all of the cornerbacks on the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning roster, how many of them were drafted in the first round?
- Kendall Fuller – third round
- Tyrann Mathieu – third round
- Bashaud Breeland – fourth round
- Rashad Fenton – seventh round
- Charvarius Ward – Undrafted
Kansas City can find starting-caliber talent at the CB position without spending top draft capital to find it.
Another Senior Bowl standout, Robinson a tough corner that plays extremely physical at the line of scrimmage. He’s a hard-nosed tackler with a good presence to come up and lay a hit on a ball carrier. His ball skills are probably one of the more underrated parts of the game, but I feel like he does a solid job locating the football once it’s in the air.
Robinson is also a stud special teamer with four blocked kicks during his collegiate career. That’s something that you have to consider once you get past the middle rounds of the draft.
