The Kansas City Chiefs no longer have a first-round draft pick, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be interested in selecting an offensive guard. Though, I would be surprised if they decided to move up and select one.
It’s been a long time since the Chiefs have valued the offensive guard position highly in the NFL draft. They’ve taken quite a few developmental players over the recent years and they’ve fared quite well in that department. They don’t necessarily have a ton of need at the position, but with a franchise QB to protect, they should always be looking for improvements.
Here are players the Chiefs could look at in each round of the draft:
Round 1: Chris Lindstrom, Boston College
It wouldn’t be all that exciting to see the Chiefs forfeit multiple picks to move back into the first round only to select a guard. However, if they’re going to do it they might as well get the best one.
Lindstrom has been on the rise throughout the pre-draft process. At the Senior Bowl and combine he showed off his natural athleticism. He’s a smooth athlete with great lateral agility. His strong football IQ and processing helps him get the most out of his athletic talents.
The one area that he struggles with is anchoring against pure power rushers that line straight up over him. Often times he’s walked back right into the lap of the quarterback. He’ll need to continue to work on his functional strength at the NFL level in order to work that part of his game away.
Continue…
Round 2: Dru Samia, Oklahoma
Samia is a bad man. He plays with an edge and toughness about him that is unparalleled in this draft class. He absolutely loves finishing the play and putting his opponents in the dirt where they belong.
He has good size at 6-5 and 305 pounds. He also has the athletic ability to climb to the second level of a defense, and the punch to lead the way for his running back.
One problem I’ve seen with Samia at times is that he has a tendency to lower his eyes of the snap. That can be a big problem against speed rushers in the NFL, but I am sure coaches can work that out of him.
If Samia is available for either of the Chiefs’ two second round picks, I wouldn’t hesitate to draft him. He’s a plug and play starter at either guard spot.
Continue…
Round 3: Nate Davis, Charlotte
Davis has been a riser throughout the pre-draft process. After a great performance at the Senior Bowl teams believe that he can be an early starter in the NFL. He views himself as an interior offensive linemen, and doesn’t feel he should be limited to just guard.
Davis is a mauler in the run game, he latches on to his opponents moves them off the ball on a consistent basis. At 6-4 and over 300 pounds, he has a great combination of strength and athleticism to work with.
In the pass game, he needs some refinement. Most of the tape I’ve seen have him playing right tackle, but he’s shown inconsistent placement with his punches. At the Senior Bowl he struggled in 1-on-1 drills against some of the thicker and more powerful defensive tackles.
The Chiefs had a formal interview with Davis at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine. We’ll see if their interested come draft-day.
Continue…
Round 4: Beau Benzschawel, Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Badgers sported one of the top offensive lines in the nation in 2019. Benzschawel was a staple among the offensive line as their starting left guard.
Listed at 6-6 and 310 pounds, Benzschawel has ideal size to play guard in the Chiefs’ scheme. He displays strong technique and footwork in the passing game. He’s much stronger in the run game when he’s got a double team partner to work with, and when he can get a moving start on counter plays.
It’s clear that Benzschawel needs some work though. Sometimes he’ll get stacked at the line of scrimmage and won’t be able to create much movement. He also struggles with some quicker and longer pass rushers.
The Chiefs had a formal interview with Benzschawel at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine. He said that the Chiefs drew up some plays and wanted to get to know the type of person he was during the interview.
Continue…
Round 5: Alex Bars, Notre Dame
Bars was a staple along the Notre Dame offensive line for the past four seasons, but a gruesome injury cut his 2018 season short. Five games into the year he blew out his left knee, tearing both the MCL and ACL. Before the injury he was projected as a third-round pick, but he had potential to rise through the process.
During his career at Notre Dame, Bars started a total of 32 games at three different positions. He’s not overwhelmingly athletic, but he has a solid technical foundation that will set him up for success in the NFL. He shown strong hands, and is extremely powerful in the running game.
Now the fate of Bars will be determined by the medical checks at the combine. If everything comes back clear, it’s likely that he still has a chance to be drafted on Day 3 and as high as the fifth round.
Continue…
Round 6: B.J. Autry, NC State
At 6-4 and 330 pounds, Autry is a big man. He’s had to go one a weight loss regimen because he was considered overweight coming out of NC State. If he comes to Kansas City, he’ll certainly have to watch the BBQ intake.
Autry’s obvious strength is when you put him hat-on-hat in the run game. He absolutely buries the guy across from him with power and his engulfing frame. The converse is that he’s not as athletic, and he’ll struggle at the next level with reach blocks, pulling, and working in space.
He might not be a perfect fit for a zone scheme, but the strengths to his game are intriguing enough for him to be on the Chiefs’ radar.
Continue…
Round 7: Hjalte Froholdt, Arkansas
Froholdt is a project, but for the right reasons. He immigrated from Denmark in high school to the United States so that he could play football. He started playing on the defensive side of the ball, and Arkansas actually recruited him to play defensive tackle, but ultimately they moved him to the offensive line.
I don’t think that Froholdt will need much time working in an NFL weight-room. From the naked eye he doesn’t struggle with functional strength, what he really needs to do is tweak his technique, and to continue on as a student of the game. He needs to develop a better understanding of angles and learn how to win the leverage battle more consistently.
The Chiefs have developed a lot of guards from the late rounds of the draft, and I feel like Froholdt could be the next in a long lineage of those players.
Honorable mention late-rounders/UDFAs: Tommy Dennis (Penn), Abdul Beecham (Kansas State) and Dwayne Wallace (Kansas)
Potential Chiefs prospects
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive tackles
Guards
Centers
Defensive tackles
Defensive ends
Linebackers
Cornerbacks
Safeties
Go back…
