We’re just days away from the 2019 NFL draft
The Kansas City Chiefs will add several players at positions of need, but Brett Veach has positioned the team to take a best player available approach throughout the draft.
Here at Chiefs Wire we have differing opinions on which players the Chiefs should go after in the draft. That’s why we’re happy to present to you our third annual dueling seven-round mock draft. Below you’ll find mock drafts from Charles Goldman, Robert Rimpson, Nicolas Roesch, Mark Fitzpatrick and Danilo Di Julio. Check out each mock draft below and click on the name of each writer to be directed to an argument defending their choices.
Be sure to vote in the poll at the top of the page and let us know which mock draft wins this duel!
| Round |
Charles Goldman |
Robert Rimpson |
| 1 | LSU CB Greedy Williams | Georgia CB Deandre Baker |
| 2a | LA Tech DE Jaylon Ferguson | Alabama S Deionte Thompson |
| 2b | USC OT Chuma Edoga | Boston College DE Zach Allen |
| 3 | Western Illinois DT Khalen Saunders | Texas A&M TE Jace Sternberger |
| 5 | Washburn CB Corey Ballentine | Notre Dame RB Dexter Williams |
| 6a | App St. RB Jalin Moore | Washburn CB Corey Ballentine |
| 6b | Boston College WR Michael Walker | FSU OL Alec Eberle |
| 7 | Penn St. LB Koa Farmer | K-State RB Alex Barnes |
| Round |
Nicolas Roesch |
Mark Fitzpatrick |
| 1 | Mississippi WR A.J. Brown | Florida CB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson |
| 2a | Boston College DE Zach Allen | South Carolina WR Deebo Samuel |
| 2b | Penn St. CB Amani Oruwariye | Temple CB Rock Ya-Sin |
| 3 | San Diego St. TE Kahale Warring | FAU RB Devin Singletary |
| 5 | Alabama G Ross Pierschbacher | Charleston DE John Cominsky |
| 6a | Rutgers S Saquan Hampton | Clemson CB Mark Fields |
| 6b | Mississippi OT Sean Rawlings | USC LB Cameron Smith |
| 7 | Memphis RB Tony Pollard | Alabama DT Isaiah Buggs |
| Round |
Danilo Di Julio |
x |
| 1 | Clemson DT Dexter Lawrence | x |
| 2a | Maryland S Darnell Savage | x |
| 2b | Florida DE Jachai Polite | x |
| 3 | Memphis RB Darrell Henderson | x |
| 5 | Clemson LB Tre Lamar | x |
| 6a | BYU DE Corbin Kaufusi | x |
| 6b | Boston College CB Hamp Cheevers | x |
| 7 | West Virginia WR Garys Jennings | x |
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Charles Goldman’s mock draft
Twitter: @goldmctNFL
I feel like the Chiefs haven’t adequately addressed the CB position since they traded away Marcus Peters. In 2018 it appears they missed out on some corners that they had interest in and I don’t expect that to happen this year.
Greedy Williams is a long, athletic, ball-hawking corner. He has some concerns when it comes to tackling, but the Chiefs so happen to have an LSU legend on the team (Tyrann Mathieu) that will help motivate him to become a better tackler.
Even if the Chiefs need to trade up a few spots to acquire Williams I think they’ll be willing to do it, but it’s not entirely impossible he’s available at pick No. 29. Brett Veach said it himself that he doesn’t see a typical top-10 CB in this class. I think teams won’t start looking at any of the defensive backs until after pick No. 15 or so.
Next up I have the Chiefs taking the NCAA career sack leader Jaylon Ferguson at pick No. 61. I know he’s been mocked to the Chiefs as high as pick No. 29, but I don’t think his college production is driving the bus here.
He had some historically poor scores at his pro day in testing that typically determines bend and change in direction. Those are both extremely important when it comes to rushing the passer and I think it’s going to take a bold team to look past that in the top 75 picks.
With pick No. 63 I took USC offensive tackle Chuma Edoga. This one may seem like a head-scratcher, but the Chiefs have upcoming decisions on the contracts of both Eric Fisher and Mitch Schwartz.
This draft class is quite deep at the tackle position, and in other classes Edoga would be in contention for the first round. He’s got versatility, and he plays with a chip on his shoulder. Getting an heir apparent that can play left or right tackle makes a lot of sense when you’re a season away from paying Patrick Mahomes.
Defensive line depth makes some sense for the Chiefs. While Khalen Saunders didn’t test great in the pre-draft process, he showed at the Senior Bowl that he can hang with the best the NFL can offer. He’s a high-effort player with good character, and Kansas City would enjoy having him on the team and in the community.
I expect the Chiefs to double dip at the corner position and I like them taking a small school player with potential. It seemed to work out really well for them in the 2018 with Tremon Smith. Corey Ballentine is practically a local guy being from Topeka, KS and playing college football there too. He makes a good deal of sense for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs are doing a ton of homework on the running back position during this class because they want to ensure they get the best possible value. I think Jalin Moore is going to be a great pro, but his season-ending ankle injury in 2018 has lowered his stock quite a bit. If you can get him just outside of the 200th selection, you’ll be getting a steal.
You’ve probably not heard of Michael Walker before, but he’s a stud return specialist and slot receiver. It’s something the Chiefs need right now and I think drafting him here would be a good choice.
Finally I have Kansas City taking Penn State strong side linebacker Koa Farmer. He’s a former safety, a stud special teams player and has experience playing kick returner. I think this would be a fun player for Dave Toub to mold and he could potentially be valuable depth for the Chiefs.
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Robert Rimpson’s mock draft
Twitter: @RRimpsanity
I understand my mock draft may seem a bit optimistic, especially with the first few picks, but hear me out.
I have the Chiefs taking Deandre Baker in the first round. I believe there’s a good possibility that Baker is available at 29, and from what I’ve seen, most analysts vary on Baker being a mid-to-late first round pick. If he’s available I’d take him without question to fill a position of need the Chiefs have had for almost three years now.
Deionte Thompson at pick No. 61 is going to need a little more explaining. Brett Veach said himself that he believes the safety class is thin this year, and I’m willing to bet a lot of other GM’s believe that as well. While several teams have safety as a position of need, if the class is thin, it wouldn’t be smart to reach in the early rounds for talent that isn’t there. Let’s say for the sake of the argument that Thompson is the fifth best safety in this class, do you believe four safeties get drafted before the Chiefs have to pick again? I don’t think so.
The Chiefs can get a safety with a lot of talent that fell in the draft due to injury and fill a position of need yet again. It also helps that the Chiefs met with Thompson during the combine, and were connected with Thompson in early mock drafts.
Zach Allen at pick No. 63 might also be a stretch, but just like Baker, opinions on where he will fall are inconsistent. All three picks I have for the Chiefs so far would be steals at those spots, and all seem completely plausible given the lack of certainty surrounding each prospect.
I have the Chiefs taking Jace Sternberger in the third round as a new weapon for Mahomes and a compliment to Travis Kelce. The Chiefs have been rumored to have interest in Sternberger, and he even said himself during the combine that he would fit well in the Chiefs offense.
I have the Chiefs taking a guy that I have discussed at length in Dexter Williams, potentially completing the D. Williams trifecta in the backfield. You can read my feature on Williams here if you want a detailed explanation on what kind of player he is, but long story short, the Chiefs would get a young, driven RB with a lot of potential.
In the sixth round I have the Chiefs first taking CB Corey Ballentine, then OL Alec Oberele. The Chiefs have a need in both positions, and have show interest in both players. Ballentine met with the Chiefs during the combine and is a Topeka, KS native, while Oberele was worked out during OL drills by a Chiefs scout at FSU’s pro day.
It also should be mentioned that both positions were mentioned by Veach to be the deepest in this year’s draft (O-line an corner), so it’s likely the Chiefs will try to find some diamonds in the rough in those positions late in the draft.
Lastly I have the Chiefs taking Alex Barnes in the last round of the draft. I had KC taking Barnes potentially in the sixth round in an article talking about RB’s the Chiefs could potentially draft, but getting him in the seventh would be even better.
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Nicolas Roesch’s mock draft
Twitter: @Nicolas_Roesch
The NFL is an offensive league, folks. It’s no coincidence that the final four teams left in last year’s postseason had the top four offenses in the league. With that in mind, I have the Chiefs selecting A.J. Brown with their first round selection at No. 29 overall.
While K.C. already has two very talented receivers in Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins, there is a fair amount of uncertainty surrounding each of them. You’re likely familiar with Hill’s current family situation, and Watkins of course has an extensive injury history.
Even if the Chiefs get full seasons out of Hill and Watkins, they’ll need a replacement for Chris Conley, and I’m not sure Demarcus Robinson is that guy. Conley wasn’t great by any means, but can you imagine how much more potent the Chiefs’ offense would have been if he was? It would have been nice to have a receiver step up in the AFC Championship game when the New England Patriots shut Hill down.
A.J. Brown will be a big contributor for any team from day one. He fits the mold of what coach Andy Reid likes in a receiver- fast, lethal in space, and can operate out of the slot as well as out wide. Brown could take the Chiefs’ offense to the next level and be a cheap heir apparent to either Hill or Watkins.
With the Chiefs first of two second round picks, I have them addressing what I believe is still a position of need: defensive end. Yes, K.C. has Breeland Speaks and brought in Alex Okafor and Emmanuel Ogbah via free agency. They’re all quite underwhelming as starters though. Enter Zach Allen, a high motor player who brings toughness and attitude, something the Chiefs have lacked on defense for years.
It could be a stretch that he is still available at No. 61, but opinions on Allen vary all over the map. If he is still available, K.C. would get an absolute steal. Allen does a great job at setting the edge against the run and has a knack for batting down passes. He isn’t a flashy pass rusher and has athletic limitations, but should be able to continue to develop power rushing moves.
The Chiefs get to come on the clock again just two picks later, and I have them sticking with defense and selecting Amani Oruwariye. He has the size and length in which NFL teams love in cornerbacks nowadays, and he plays with physicality. Oruwariye is great at getting his hands on receivers at the line of scrimmage and rerouting them.
He also doesn’t hesitate to help against the run and put a guy in the dirt. Oruwariye doesn’t have top end speed, but his route recognition is impressive and can make up for some of that.
Next up I have the Chiefs selecting one of my draft crushes in the third round, Kahale Warring. The Chiefs have had a need at No. 2 tight end for quite some time, and selecting Warring could finally give them some much needed depth there.
Warring still has a lot of potential to unlock as a football player, having played in just one season in high school and three in college. He has a lot of striking similarities to Travis Kelce and could really blossom from learning under the great tight end.
We all know Andy Reid loves his offensive linemen and is sure to draft one, so I have K.C. selecting Ross Pierschbacher in the fifth round. One quality Reid loves in his linemen is those who can play multiple positions along the line. Pierschbacher played both guard and center as a four year starter at Alabama.
The Chiefs have upgraded the safety position by acquiring Tyrann Mathieu, but could still use some depth there. Saquan Hampton could be a nice developmental safety. Injuries had a big impact on his sophomore and junior seasons at Rutgers, but he was able to stay healthy and have a very good senior season. If he can avoid injuries, Hampton could put it all together.
I have K.C. taking Sean Rawlings with it’s second sixth round selection. Rawlings has a lot of experience playing at both right tackle and center during his four years at Mississippi. He had big expectations entering his senior year, but unfortunately battled a number of injuries throughout the season.
With the Chiefs’ final selection, I have them taking an athletic running back in Tony Pollard out of Memphis. Pollard possess good speed and receiving skills. He averaged a whopping 7.1 yards per carry this past season, granted he only had 78 carries. He is also a decorated return specialist, as he is tied for the most kickoff return touchdowns in FBS history with seven.
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Mark Fitzpatrick’s mock draft
Twitter: @CallMeFitz1
I have Kansas City focusing mostly on defense next week, save for some players who will contribute to the future of the offense in rounds two and three. My favorite player that the Chiefs can realistically end up with goes first, with Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. He’s a versatile player who had a good combine and would demand some playing time right off the bat. Not to mention he would be under the tutelage of Tyrann Mathieu.
Round two is where I have KC selecting Deebo Samuel, a wide receiver out of South Carolina. He’s not big by any means, but he’s willing to make plays in traffic and could be a solid addition to that side of the ball. He’s a guy Andy Reid can be creative with.
With their other second round pick, I have a solid cornerback with perhaps the coolest name in the draft. Rock Ya-Sin. It’s important that the Chiefs continue to pad the secondary with young talent even with the overhaul that’s going on back there right now. It seems Kansas City is looking to spend money on coverage via veteran talent and scheme their blitz packages, much like we see in New England, but they have a lot to prove and a long way to go. In my opinion, keep the young guys coming to push the veterans who already have their payday.
Two more positions I believe the Chiefs need to address are running back and the defensive line. Rounds three, five, and seven are where Brett Veach will make this happen. Devin Singletary, running back out of Florida Atlantic would be a solid addition to their stable in round three.
John Cominsky is a tall defensive tackle who isn’t shy about getting involved against the run. His development would benefit from veteran additions Alex Okafor, Emmanuel Ogbah, along with Steve Spagnuolo’s creativity. Isaiah Buggs, defensive tackle out of Alabama is one of my favorite late-round players that I would love Kansas City to take a chance on. He doesn’t get pushed around at the line, and I think that alone makes him something the Chiefs can turn into a project.
With the Chiefs two sixth round picks I have Veach again selecting defense. Another corner to stack the depth chart with young potential, and a flier on USC linebacker Cameron Smith.
We will see what Veach has in mind when his plan ultimately unfolds on Thursday in Nashville.
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Danilo Di Julio’s mock draft
Twitter: @ThunderDan88
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