The 2019 NFL draft is upon us.
In just nine short days, we’ll know who the Chiefs have selected on Day 1. It’s time to hear from some of the Chiefs Wire staff about the players we’ve got a crush on during this draft season. These players could be surefire first rounders, guys with high upside, sleepers, or really any of a multitude of draft cliches.
Last year the Chiefs didn’t pick up any of our draft crushes, but perhaps this year will bring different results.
We all have draft crushes so be sure to share yours with us via Twitter or Facebook. Here are some of our 2019 NFL draft crushes:
Charles Goldman’s crushes
Twitter: @goldmctNFL
BYU LB Sione Takitaki
My crush on Sione Takitaki has a lot to do with how I think he fits in the Chiefs’ defense. Above I have Takitaki listed at linebacker, but really he’s a positionless player in the NFL.
You can line him up at any OLB position in a 4-3, which is extremely valuable to the Chiefs. You can even have him operate as a defensive end with his hand in the dirt. He has experience and success doing all of those things at BYU, and he’ll carry a true jack-of-all-trades skill set to the NFL.
Takitaki actually reminds me a lot of a player and skill set that the Patriots have maximized recently in Dont’a Hightower. Someone who is always around the football, a threat in coverage, aggressive in run defense and comfortable rushing the passer from multiple positions.
During his five years at BYU, Takitaki endured highs and lows, including a dismissal from the football team. Ultimately, he earned his way back onto the team, and he ended his career on a high note as a team captain.
Adding a player like Takitaki can help the Chiefs offset the losses of pass rushers like Dee Ford, and Justin Houston while also adding a off-the-ball linebacker to the mix. He’s already on Brett Veach’s radar as he’s taken a pre-draft visit with the team.
Nebraska WR Stanley Morgan Jr.
Stanley Morgan Jr. may not have the name recognition of other Big 10 receivers in this draft class, but he’s every bit as good a prospect, if not better. Morgan Jr. finished the 2018 college football season with 535 yards on deep receptions, which was more than any other draft eligible Big 10 receiver. Keep in mind he did this all with a true freshman quarterback, albeit an impressive one.
Morgan Jr. isn’t a player who is going to beat you with blazing speed. The big thing that stands out to me about his game is his route running. Good technique and timing give him an advantage on almost every snap you’ll watch. His athleticism certainly helps with that, but you can tell he’s a student of the game.
Additionally, his concentration when the ball is in the air is quite impressive. He has the body control to adjust to the football, and the hands to make some awkward and highlight-worthy catches. It doesn’t matter if a defender is blanketing him with good coverage, he’ll manage to locate the ball and come down with it.
As the Chiefs search for a No. 3 receiver is on, Morgan Jr. should be on their radar as early as Day 2 of the 2019 NFL draft.
Maryland DL Byron Cowart
How many former No. 1 recruits can you get during Day 3 of the NFL draft? This season you can get at least one. Byron Cowart was once destined for greatness in college football, until he wasn’t.
Cowart signed with Auburn and had hoped that things would just fall into place. Needless to say they didn’t, and he ended up stumbling through three seasons of college football as a role player. It was naivety, and he eventually grew out of it when he transferred to Maryland. There he found much more success, but it still wasn’t the type of production that Cowart is capable of.
Positional versatility in a 4-3 will be interesting for Cowart in the NFL. He’s shown some incredible quickness for his 6-foot-3 size, but his 298 pound weight puts him as more of a fit along the defensive interior. He also played almost exclusively as a 3-4 defensive end at Maryland, lining up on the outside shoulder of guards.
He’s shown the necessary fluidity, change in direction, and movement skills to operate on twists and stunts. These will be featured quite frequently as part of Steve Spagnuolo’s pass rush plan. The problem is that he hasn’t shown consistent success getting after the quarterback.
Ultimately this is the type of player that a defensive line coach will want to work with at the next level. The tools are there for Brendan Daly to harness, and unleash upon the NFL. All he needs to do is pound the table to get him on the team.
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Robert Rimpson’s crushes
Twitter: @RRimpsanity
Georgia DB Deandre Baker
It’s a pretty obvious take if you’re a Chiefs fan, but Deandre Baker is my biggest crush in this year’s draft class. All you have to do is watch some UGA football film from 2018 to see why he’s such a big deal. Teams rarely threw to his side, and when they did, he made them pay for it. Even in Georgia’s lowest moment last year, the collapse against Alabama, he was one of the lone bright spots for the Bulldogs.
Charles Goldman highlighted baker as one of his way-too-early draft crushes ahead of the 2018 college football season. You can check out what he had to say about him here.
Kentucky RB Benny Snell
Benny Snell had possibly his best year in college in 2018, posting career high in rushing yards and total yards. Where he really won me over, though, was during his NFL combine podium interview. He just oozes confidence and swagger, and it’s easy to tell he was a cornerstone in the great year Kentucky had as a whole. He’ll be a leader wherever he ends up, and bring an emotional lift to whatever locker room he’s drafted to.
Plus there’s this fantastic meme of him giving a “take that” look to the camera after a play review:
Notre Dame RB Dexter Williams
Full disclosure, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dexter Williams last month. I got to find out what really made him tick, and I liked what I heard from him.
He has excellent vision at the line of scrimmage, and game-breaking acceleration, making him a constant big play threat. He also has a lot of inspiration to feed off of, from his terminally ill mother, who lives with him and is in a constant battle for her life. He has a drive to redeem himself after being arrested for marijuana possession during his time at Notre Dame.
Williams has plenty of motivation to make it big in the NFL, and as a projected third-round pick, the Chiefs make a lot of sense. It would be very on-brand for the Chiefs to take a running back in the third round and turn him into the next great professional in the NFL.
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Nicolas Roesch’s crushes
Twitter: @Nicolas_Roesch
Missouri WR Emanuel Hall
Hall has the potential to be one of the best value picks in this year’s draft. He has all the physical traits you want in a receiver, with 4.3 40-yard dash speed and a 43.5-inch vertical. He is a lethal deep threat who explodes quickly out of his stance and tracks the ball well.
Hall also possesses short area quickness, helping him to beat press man coverage at the line of scrimmage and be dangerous in open space. All of these attributes give him the makeup of a first round receiver, but Hall will likely be a third or fourth round pick with an outside shot of being selected in round two.
One reason why is that he was a bit of a one-trick pony at Missouri. Hall has a limited route tree and while he’s very fast, he doesn’t run with a lot of finesse. Some nagging injuries limited him a bit in his junior and senior seasons which slowed down his overall production. There have also been rumblings of Hall having some motivational and competitive issues.
So how would he fit with the Chiefs? The obvious connection is with his speed, as K.C. has plenty of speed in it’s receiving corps. Sitting behind Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson, there would be little pressure on Hall, allowing him to learn and develop.
If there truly are motivational issues with Hall, I believe surrounding him with coaches such as Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy would help, as well as being around a competitor and leader like quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Hall could be the heir apparent to Hill or Watkins if the Chiefs decide to move on from one of them after 2019.
San Diego State TE Kahale Warring
The similarities between Warring and Travis Kelce are striking. Both are tremendous overall athletes and their physical measurements are almost identical. Our friends at FalconsWire created this great chart comparing the two.
Pairing Warring with Kelce makes too much sense. Warring could contribute from day one while still being in a low pressure situation sitting behind the best tight end in the NFL. He started just five combined games in his collegiate career at San Diego State, but made the most of it by catching 49 passes for 620 yards and six touchdowns.
Warring still has a lot of potential to unlock as a football player. He played in just one season in high school and three in college. He was a multi-sport athlete in high school. He stood out in water polo, basketball, cross county, swimming, soccer and tennis.
Clemson DE Clelin Ferrell
This is the big one. Ferrell seems to be a surefire first round selection in this year’s draft, the only question being when. Some experts have him being selected in the mid first round, while others have him as a late first round pick.
Ideally, Ferrell would fall to the Chiefs at their current No. 29 selection, but it’s very possible that they would need to trade up if they to really want him. The key would be just how far they would have to trade up. The cost can sometimes be high, but K.C. does have an extra second round pick this year thanks to the Marcus Peters trade.
Ferrell would definitely be worth the trade up. He has the prototypical size for a 4-3 defensive end at 6-foot-4 and 264 pounds with 34 inch arm length. He has the production and accolades to back it up, earning two first-team All-American selections, as well as being the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
The Chiefs have an obvious need for a pass rusher after parting ways with Justin Houston and Dee Ford. They’ve acquired defensive ends Alex Okafor and Emmanuel Ogbah this offseason, but need a young stud they can build around and pair with star defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Not only would the Chiefs’ pass rush get an instant upgrade by selecting Ferrell, but so would the run defense. K.C. has ranked near the bottom of the NFL in run defense each of the last three seasons.
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