We have less than a month to go until the 2020 NFL draft. Now that free agency is winding down, our friend Luke Easterling over at Draft Wire has released a brand new four-round mock draft. This time around he has the Kansas City Chiefs hitting on all the biggest needs on both sides of the ball.
If they grab a coverage linebacker in the fifth round, Brett Veach can crack a beer and call it a day. Here are my thoughts on the latest prospects that Draft Wire is sending to Kansas City:
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32. A.J. Epenesa | EDGE/DL | Iowa
Epenesa has been the pick in Kansas City for Draft Wire for about a month now, and it’s really starting to grow on me. I’ve got over his poor combine performance and I warmed up to his fit with the Chiefs. It feels like he can be a guy that can come in and play the same type of role as Tanoh Kpassagnon, who is a free agent in 2021.
On the tape, you can tell that Epenesa is a technician. The way he uses his hands and works his way around the arc to get the quarterback is really impressive. He also has a knack for getting his hands on the football, forcing eight fumbles in the past two seasons. His skill there reminds me a bit of former Chiefs LB/DE Tamba Hali.
63. Jaylon Johnson | CB | Utah
Johnson is one of the 19 players that we know had a formal interview with the Chiefs at the combine. He’s also a player that I believe NFL teams are higher on than the media. I’d be a little surprised if he was available at No. 63, but he also is dealing with a torn labrum and can’t have pre-draft visits for medicals. That could have him slide down the draft board for some teams.
Johnson is one of the lengthier corners in this draft class. He brings a lot of physicality in run defense and playing through the catch point. He has the type of long speed that will translate to the NFL, with the ability to carry and mirror routes down the field. If the Chiefs can land a starting corner like Johnson at this pick, it’d be a huge win.
96. Clyde Edwards-Helaire | RB | LSU
It’s hard to say the Chiefs need a running back after the performance that Damien Williams put up during Super Bowl LIV. This pick wouldn’t be about 2020, though. Kansas City only has one running back, Darwin Thompson, under contract beyond the 2020 season. They need to add a young, cheap and effective running back to add into the mix.
I feel like Edwards-Helaire would be a dynamo in the Chiefs’ offense. In 2019, he had 55 catches for 453 yards and a touchdown for the LSU Tigers. He forced a total of 71 missed tackles and created a ton of yards after contact. He picked up a total of 67 first downs and he didn’t fumble the ball a single time in 185 carries. Even if he doesn’t have homerun speed, he adds those hidden yards that equate to wins in the NFL.
138. John Hightower | WR | Boise State
I know that you’re thinking, “Well, the Chiefs just signed Demarcus Robinson and they still have Sammy Watkins… why do they need this guy?” Both Robinson and Watkins are signed to one-year deals and Byron Pringle also becomes a free agent in 2021. Just because they have those guys for next year, it doesn’t mean they don’t need to reload at the position.
Hightower is a guy that can come in and make immediate contributions as a kick returner on special teams. That’d free up more opportunities for Mecole Hardman on offense while giving Hightower time to learn Andy Reid’s system. He has 4.43 speed, which will have him fitting in nicely with the rest of the “Legion of Zoom.” In fact, his entire athletic profile is very similar to that of Watkins, so he could be viewed as a direct replacement there.
