Chiefs 2014 Draft: Focus on Four

The closer we come to the end of the season the more we’ll hear about the possible college prospects that could be drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. As of this moment the Chiefs have a number one pick late in the first round and their next pick would be in the third round.

Scenario I

Chiefs keep their first and third round selections.

Scenario II

The Chiefs could trade their number one, first round pick, for two second round picks.

Some will argue that is isn’t a doable trade but if for some reason the San Francisco 49ers decided they would like two first round selections in the 2014 draft they could trade their own second round pick and the second round pick the Chiefs gave them for Alex Smith and easily come away with the Chiefs lone first round pick in this coming draft.

Would the Chiefs be interested in such a trade? Why not. Most teams like coming away with a two for one deal anytime they can get it. In this case both teams would benefit as long as the 49ers, a) fixate on two prospects they love and, b) have the cap space to pay for two first round picks. However, like last season, the 49ers were willing to trade with Dallas gaining the 18th pick in the first round for their 31st pick and their 74th pick coming in the third round. The 9ers came away with Safety Eric Reid out of LSU and were willing to let Pro Bowl FS Dashon Goldson walk away in free agency. Goldson signed a five year, $41.25 million contract with the Tampa Bay Bucs, including a 22 million dollars guaranteed whereas Reid signed a four year deal worth about 8.4 million with all of it guaranteed.

As you can see it’s usually a bargain to draft a player instead of shelling out gigga-bucks to over priced free agents. Not all free agents are overpriced but the high-impact FA’s usually are.

If the Chiefs were to this deal and (used the Jimmy Johnson trade value chart) let’s say the Chiefs had the 29th pick in the upcoming draft it would give them 640 points to barter with. Since the 49ers currently have the 57 pick (330 points) and the 60th pick (300 points) you can see that a deal is more than doable. If the Chiefs don’t make it to the AFC Championship game it gives them even more points for moving around. Only in the event that the Chiefs made the Super Bowl would this deal not be possible.

For the purposes of this piece I’ll be suggesting two prospects to draft for Scenario I (a 1st rounder and a 3rd rounder) as listed above and, two prospects to draft for Scenario II (the 57th pick and the 60th pick).

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Scenario I

Assuming the Chiefs make it to the AFC Championship game and are selecting somewhere around the 29th pick in the 2014 NFL draft, they could select,

If I told you that the Chiefs could get a wide receiver with their first pick… one who is a 4 year player with over 1,300 yards in each of their past two seasons… and the guy has elite size and happens to be related to Jerry Rice… would you be interested?

Yes, me too and these are exactly the reasons I’m suggesting 6-3, 206 lb, WR Jordan Matthews out of Vanderbilt would make an excellent first round pick. I know many of you are thinking the Chiefs just traded away a late first round WR draft bust in Jon Baldwin but upon examining more about Jordan Matthews I think you’ll see he’s everything Baldwin was not, especially not a smoldering diva.

The number one ability a WR must possess in Andy Reid’s offense is the ability to get open, aside from holding onto the ball. Matthews has 4.45 speed which is not elite speed but he does have the ability to quickly shift his weight in his hips which leaves many a defender wondering where he went. At this point in the season there is a question as to whether or not Donnie Avery can hold on to enough balls to stay on the field enough to be the long threat the Chiefs need to execute this offense. While Matthews doesn’t offer that kind of speed he does possess the ability to get open consistently and hold onto the ball.

Jordan Matthews can be seen making one handed catches while battling the CB with the other hand. While it’s always great to have a true number one WR Matthews should be able to come in and match Dwayne Bowes output in his rookie season… making Bowe even more of a threat and more importantly forcing other teams to decide who they will double. Matthews should also help in the red zone and give Alex Smith a big target he’s now lacking.

I’m tired of seeing other teams march huge receivers out onto the field while the Chiefs have to plan a way to cover them. Jordan Matthews would give the Chiefs that superior big body and help to punish opposing DBs.

Draftek ranks Matthews the 29th best prospect in this draft. NFLDraftScout ranks him #33 and ESPN says Jordan Matthews is #28.

So, Jordan Matthews and Jerry Rice are related, his mother is a first cousin to Rice but, more importantly, Matthews is an excellent player in the best conference in the country,

"“The 6-3, 206-pound senior caught 94 passes last season — which led the SEC — for 1,323 yards, an average of 101 yards per game. He played some of his best games against Vandy’s toughest competition as well. None of the top three teams in the SEC East — Florida, Georgia and South Carolina — could hold him to less than 100 yards. Ole Miss couldn’t even hold him under 150.”"

If the Chiefs don’t trade back, my great hope is that they select a top tier player like Matthews who can come in and make a big impact like Eric Berry has at Safety. I believe Mathews can be that player.

Second Choice for the 29th pick in the draft: DB/KR Justin Gilbert.

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If the Chiefs are selecting the 29th pick in rounds one and three that would also give them pick number 93, and with that pick they could select,

USC, TE Xavier Grimble is not the fastest man on the football field but when he gets the ball he sometimes looks like Jim Brown because he likes to plow through people on his way to the endzone.

Grimble has averaged nearly 11 yards per catch the past two years and his 708 career yards and 11 TDs have mostly come during that time as well. What Grimble offers is a big strong and healthy body going 6-5 and 255 pounds. Draftek has him ranked 111th best prospect in this upcoming draft so he maybe could be had in the 4th round but the Chiefs need a good TE with solid hands. One who can stick around.

Grimble has already been selected as an Honorable mention TE in the Pac-12. He may not be the answer for the Chiefs but the TE position must get fixed this offseason. The free agent market has Dennis Pita from Baltimore who I loved coming out of college or how about Alex Smith out of Cincinnati. Wouldn’t that be a trip, “Alex Smith completes a pass to Alex Smith.” Now who could get tired of that?

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Scenario II– picks 57 and 60 in the second round.

For the 57th pick in the 2014 draft, the Chiefs could select,

Ohio State CB, 5-11, 193, Bradley Roby. Roby can play close man-to-man coverage or zone and has a nose for the ball. He’s always around the play and plays the run with equal enthusiasm as he does the pass defense.

Roby has been 1st team All Big-10, 1st Team ESPN All-American, with 19 passes defended, 17 passes broken up, was a Jim Thorpe Award finalist… and that was all in 2012. I like to watch a lot of TV, flim and tape on players but sometimes a player jumps out at you and that player is Bradley Roby. He plays with an attitude that’s reminiscent of the Seahawks Richard Sherman. It’s happened more than once that I’ve said to myself that the Chiefs need more attitude like the Seahawks defensive players. Well, Roby would bring a heaping helping of that.

Roby has also accounted for 173 tackles in his career and 8 INTs to go with those. His 226 INT return yards breaks down to nearly 30 yards per INT. Here’s a video from 2012 showing off Roby’s skills. Enjoy.

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With the 60th Pick in the 2014 Draft the Kansas City Chiefs select,

Florida State FS, 5-11, 200, Terrance Brooks. Brooks has 4.42 speed and that kind of speed may be the number one component needed when it comes to choosing a Free Safety in the draft for the Chiefs. The Chiefs went shopping in free agency last year and signed Husain Abdullah early on in the off season and then went out and got Quintin Demps, who’s been an excellent returner, but neither of them has helped make the Free Safety position a position of strength.

 You only need to review a little bit of game tape of any of the past three games to realize a free safety is perhaps the Chiefs biggest offseason need. NFLDraftScout has ranked Terrance Brooks the number one Free Safety in the 2014 draft and if he’s there at #60, I hope the Chiefs will go after him.

Terrance Brooks has long arms and legs and a stocky torso that makes him well suited to hitting which he seems to relish. Brooks reads plays well and knows when a play is not going to be a passing play and in that case ends up being right where the balls is. He has 5 career INTs which may be because, like many excellent DBs in college — when a QB knows you’re good — they throw away from you. However, when they did throw his way he displayed excellent timing to strip the ball or make a hit that often jarred the ball loose.

Terrance Brooks is a keeper. Here’s a highlight reel of his work a year ago during his junior season.

WARNING: BE SURE TO TURN OFF THE SOUND ON THIS VIDEO AS THE WORDS ARE HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE.

Well Addicts, is there anyone you’ve seen while watching college ball this year that you’d like to see in a Chiefs jersey next season?