The 2020 NFL draft is upon us.
In just eight days, we’ll know who the Chiefs have selected with pick No. 32 and we’ll be looking forward to the second round. 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’s a look at some of our 2020 NFL Draft crushes:
Charles Goldman’s crushes
Twitter: @goldmctNFL
Georgia DB J.R. Reed
I feel like this safety class is underrated and Reed is one of the players flying most under-the-radar. He has strong NFL bloodlines, with his dad (Vikings WR Jake Reed) and uncle (Chiefs DB Dale Carter). You can tell that growing up around them and the game of football impacts how he sees things on the field. He’s a really heady player and was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2019 because of it.
Reed had one of the top coverage grades among safeties since 2018 according to PFF. That really matches up with the tape, because he has great reaction time and range. His teammates voted him in as a team captain because he’s a great competitor and leader. He’d finish his Bulldogs career with 42 games played, 199 tackles, five interceptions, 14 passes defended, three sacks, nine tackles for loss and two touchdowns.
The Chiefs invested heavily in rebuilding the safety position in 2019 with Tyrann Mathieu signed and Juan Thornhill drafted. Adding a player like Reed would add another layer of sophistication on the back end with the ability to play in Cover 2 looks, single high and in the box. He also has high-upside as a special teams player
LSU OG Damien Lewis
This is a player who is beloved by his coaches and teammates. You couldn’t pay someone to say something bad about him. Lewis has a team-first attitude and he’s a hard worker, as evidenced by his ability to start 27 straight games (national title game included) for the LSU Tigers after joining the team out of JUCO.
Lewis is known as a finisher as a blocker. Pass protection or run-blocking, it doesn’t matter, he’s trying to put the man opposite him on his back. He’s also a lot more nimble than you’d think a 6-2 and 327-pound offensive lineman would be. He had a pair of blocks during the Senior Bowl on a screen pass touchdown, and I know those plays had Chiefs head coach Andy Reid salivating about what this player could do in his offense.
Historically, the Chiefs haven’t gone out of their way to invest high draft picks in interior offensive linemen since Reid arrived. The highest-drafted was Mitch Morse who the team took in the second round in 2015. They’ve gone with veteran guys or drafted guys in the late rounds to develop. Perhaps that changes in this draft if a player like Lewis is available.
Illinois RB Reggie Corbin
I’m going to stay true to at least one of my way-too-early draft crushes. Corbin stands at 5-10 and just over 200 pounds. He’s elusive with ankle-breaking ability but also surprisingly powerful. He’s shown the ability to run between the tackles but also can be deadly when given space. His catching ability shows promise, with 38 career catches for over 340 yards. It’s one of the reasons I think he could find success in the Chiefs offense.
Corbin had one of the best seasons by a running back in 2018. He recorded 1,085 rushing yards for the Fighting Illini, a number that is good for the 10th-most rushing yards by a running back in program history. He did it on a team that didn’t have a great offensive line and only won four games. His 8.48 yards per carry in 2018 were third in the entire FBS. His 2019 season wasn’t quite as successful, rushing for just 4.7 yards per carry with fewer yards and touchdowns on more touches. He was among the standout players at the East-West Shrine Game, showing off quickness in the passing game and great vision in the ground game.
Historically, the Chiefs haven’t valued the running back position all that highly. They haven’t taken a running back in the first round since Larry Johnson in 2003. I don’t expect that they take one with a top draft pick given the depth that this class has. You could likely wait and grab a player like Corbin in the late rounds and see the same type of success.
Ed Easton Jr’s crushes
Twitter: @EdEastonJr
Georgia RB DeAndre Swift
The Chiefs haven’t shown much interest in having an every-down running back due to the high volume of pass plays in Andy Reid’s offense. The prospect of adding a dynamic playmaking option like Swift is almost too much to pass up. Swift was a standout star during his time with the University of Georgia. He led the Bulldogs with 1,218 yards rushing this past season on 6.21 yards per carry.
Chiefs Pro Bowl receiver Mecole Hardman was college teammates with Swift before he was drafted by Kansas City last offseason. Hardman has continued to have an off-field relationship with Swift to become a mentor to the 21-year old running back. Swift spoke about the possibility of joining Hardman with the Chiefs during his media availability at February’s NFL Scouting Combine.
“It would be amazing,” said Swift. “Just seeing how they use each player differently that would be amazing. Seeing how they use Mecole (Hardman) was nice too. That’s a good friend of mine”.
Missouri DT Jordan Elliott
Elliott checks the boxes for general manager Brett Veach in his search to add more options on the defensive line. He has good size, strength, length and quickness. The University of Missouri standout is also well aware of the team culture due to his proximity to Kansas City.
Elliott showed tremendous ability last season in the SEC at stopping the run with 31 solo tackles. The Chiefs defense struggled at times last season to stop opposing team’s rushing attack. Elliott could be a valuable selection on the line to provide better coverage on obvious running downs.
Elliott had a formal meeting with the Chiefs at February’s NFL combine and has expressed interest in staying home in Missouri. He spoke highly about the Chiefs organization during his media availability.
“I like the Chiefs; they’re a great organization,” said Elliott. “They’re real professional, so I like them. It would be crazy. It would be a blessing just being back in that city, back in that state. I feel like it would be almost like going back to your hometown even though it’s not my hometown, but I’ve been there for so long.”
Elliott could learn from high profile veterans like Chris Jones and Frank Clark to develop into an impact player for years to come.
Ohio State CB Damon Arnette
The Chiefs are in need of more help in the secondary especially at cornerback and one player that makes sense is Ohio State’s Damon Arnette. Arnette is a physical defender that will put pressure on receivers at the line of scrimmage and fearless enough to make plays on the ball.
Arnette fits defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme, with the ability to play both inside and outside corner positions. He played four seasons at Ohio State and would bring a more seasoned approach to the professional ranks.
Arnette had a good senior season with 35 tackles, eight passes defended and one interception. He had ample opportunities for the Buckeyes playing opposite teammate and projected top 5 selection Jeff Okudah. The extra reps opened more eyes around the league of his ability to step up and not be a liability to opposing game plans.
Talon Graff’s crushes
Twitter: @CoachGraff34
Kentucky OG Logan Stenberg
The Chiefs’ offensive line isn’t in need of immediate remodeling but sooner rather than later Kansas City will need to revamp it due to age and cap issues. Stenberg is as reliable as they come having started every single game for Kentucky since 2017. He reminds me of Indianapolis Colts’ Quenton Nelson in terms of style of play and tenacity.
Stenberg is solid as both a pass protector and a run blocker. He was a key reason why Steelers’ running back Benny Snell broke the all-time rushing record at Kentucky. He is a day two prospect who most likely competes for a starting job wherever he ends up. Stenberg is a clock-in and clock-out type of player and one who takes a ton of pride in getting his job done.
Stenberg would probably start for the Chiefs on the left side of the line if he does indeed get picked up by the defending Super Bowl champions. He has no injury history and is the exact type of player you want in the same uniform as you. Protecting Patrick Mahomes is going to be key moving forward and bringing Stenberg in helps accomplish that goal for the next decade.
Florida State RB Cam Akers
Running back doesn’t appear to be a position of interest for the Chiefs’ front office with Damien Williams being retained and multiple quality backups behind him but if Brett Veach does want to add to that group, Akers is the way to go. He is a do-it-all back that can run, catch, and block. A combine standout who should one of the few running backs taken in the first three rounds of the draft.
Akers’ most attractive feature may be the three-down capability he possesses but he has proven he faces adversity head-on throughout his career at Florida State. The Seminoles never won more than seven games while Akers was on campus and there were plenty of offensive line woes going on too. Akers, a former five-star prospect, could have easily transferred to and have been welcomed by any top tier program in the country but he stayed true to his commitment to FSU.
Even with the issues that Florida State was going through, Akers was a productive back all three years. For his career, he averaged a hair under five yards-per-carry and scored 27 rushing touchdowns and caught an additional seven through the air. He would be a great backfield partner for Mahomes and the Chiefs offense.
Liberty WR Antonio Gandy-Golden
The wide receiver group is deeper than it has been in a while and Antonio Gandy-Golden is going to be a steal because of it. AGG played for small-school Liberty but is primed for a big-time stage. He was impressive at the Senior Bowl and helped his stock but due to a not-so-impressive 4.6 forty time at the NFL Combine, he is a mid-round candidate.
Gandy-Golden will stand out in the Chiefs wide receiver group with his 6-6 and 223-pound frame. With Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson, and Mecole Hardman providing deep threats all over the field, AGG could give Reid a true red-zone threat. He is a size mismatch among cornerbacks and even though he won’t outrun anyone, there are plenty of others to do that on the field.
The receiver room is already crowded but staying ahead of the eight ball is paramount in today’s NFL. Watkins and Robinson are both on one-year deals so getting a guy like AGG a year before absolutely needing him on the field is a good idea. As a rookie, he can learn the offense and where he would fit in while adding depth and stepping in during goal-line situations.
