The Kansas City Chiefs had two safeties depart during the 2019 free agency period.
Jordan Lucas, who played a reserve role and special teams, signed with the Chicago Bears. Then there’s Kendall Fuller, who was a jack-of-all-trades defensive back. He ended up back with the Washington Redskins following free agency. We also don’t know exactly when Juan Thornhill will be ready to return from a knee injury he suffered in the final game of the regular season and if he’ll be as effective as he was pre-injury.
While the Chiefs invested heavily in the position just a season ago, adding another safety isn’t out of the question for Kansas City. The team could look to add replacements for Lucas and Fuller, while also adding some insurance for Thornhill. Looking to the future, The Chiefs might opt to find a cheaper replacement for Daniel Sorensen, who is set to become a free agent in 2021. Here’s a look at some of the players the team could consider in each round of the 2020 NFL draft:
Round 1: Alabama DB Xavier McKinney
Many have McKinney as their top-rated safety prospect and for good reason. In 2019, McKinney was the top tackler for the Alabama Crimson tide with 95 total tackles. He also has a nose for the football, forcing a total of four fumbles and intercepting three passes. As a sophomore, McKinney turned some heads becoming the MVP of the Orange Bowl with 5 total tackles and four passes defended against Kyler Murray and the Oklahoma Sooners.
McKinney has played snaps all over the defense for Alabama. At 6-foot and 201 pounds, he’ll line up as a deep safety, in the box and as a nickel corner. I think he’ll have that same type of versatility in the NFL, but he seems to play his best when he’s allowed to attack downhill. I’d start him off closer to the line of scrimmage in the NFL and see how he handles that role. I think Kansas City will covet a player with McKinney’s type of versatility. He would make the defense even harder to read pre-snap than it already is Thornhill, Mathieu and Sorensen in the secondary.
Round 2: Lenoir-Rhyne DB Kyle Dugger
One of the earliest reports of Chiefs’ pre-draft interest came from scouts visiting Division II Lenoir-Rhyne University during their fall camp to check out a sleeper prospect. That prospect was Kyle Dugger, who has since become a bit of a household name among draft crowds.
The 6-1 and 217-pound athlete has played a hybrid linebacker and safety role for Lenoir-Rhyne while also operating as a punt returner for the team. During his career, Dugger has accumulated 237 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 10 interceptions, 36 passes defended, six forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries. He has NFL production and he definitely has the speed, demonstrated by his 4.49 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The last player that Lenoir-Rhyne had drafted was John Milem in 2000 by the San Francisco 49ers. If Dugger is draft anywhere prior to the fifth round, he’ll become the highest-drafted player in the history of the university.
Round 3: Clemson DB K’Von Wallace
Wallace has played a lot of football for some very good Clemson teams with 36 starts in 59 appearances throughout his career, a number that is tied for the most games played in Clemson history. As a senior, Wallace had 72 total tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, one touchdown and 10 passes defended which was the most on the team.
I like Wallace’s fit with the Chiefs quite a bit because I feel like he can do a bit of everything in the same regard that Kendall Fuller could. He’s best suited for playing in the box, but he has the athleticism that you can plug him in at corner, nickel and deep safety as necessary.
Round 4: Georgia DB J.R. Reed
Reed has strong NFL bloodlines and grew up around the game. His father is former Vikings receiver Jake Reed, and his uncle is former Chiefs corner Dale Carter, who was NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1992.
Reed is not the biggest or most athletic safety prospect in this draft class but he makes up for it with good awareness and football intelligence. You’ll often find him tracking the eyes of the quarterback and getting a jump on the play before the ball is thrown.
As a strong competitor in the SEC, Reed was named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award with 54 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception, seven passes defended in 2019. His strong production spanned throughout his college football career with the Bulldogs.
Round 5: Auburn DB Daniel Thomas
Thomas is a defensive back that is flying under-the-radar a bit in the pre-draft process. He’s played in 51 games for the Auburn Tigers during his four-year career and became a team captain as a senior. During that span, he’s accumulated 199 career tackles, nine tackles for loss, five interceptions, 13 passes defended, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Thomas had a strong performance at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, posting top numbers in the 40-yard dash, broad jump and the bench press. He has positional versatility playing repetitions at both strong and free safety. He’s also a consistent contributor on special teams, which makes him exactly the type of player that Kansas City could take in the late rounds to replace someone like Jordan Lucas.
Round 6: Mississippi State DB Brian Cole II
Cole played the hybrid linebacker and safety position in the Mississippi State defense. As a senior in 2019, he amassed 67 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, and two passes defended. He also served as a team captain during his senior season with the Bulldogs.
Cole only ran the 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, but he ran a 4.52 which was the eighth-fasted time in the draft class. He also played in the Senior Bowl, where he got a chance to showcase his skills, scooping up a fumble and returning it a good 20 yards. If Kansas City opts to move back into the sixth round, I could see Cole being a target.
Round 7: BYU DB Austin Lee
Over the past two seasons, Lee has started 22 games at free safety for the BYU Cougars. In 2019, Lee recorded 53 total tackles, four passes defended and an interception. Lee also played in the East-West shrine game and was among the standout players during the week.
Lee actually held a pro day with some peers in Las Vegas, posting some very solid numbers for the safety position. While he didn’t go to the NFL Scouting Combine, he has seen some pre-draft exposure. If there is anyone who has the connections and conviction to take a risk on a player that wasn’t at the combine, it’s Chiefs HC Andy Reid with his alma mater BYU.
