Breaking Down The Kansas City Chiefs Draft Needs By Position

Ladies and gentlemen, the 2014 NFL Draft is now officially less than two weeks away. At this point the draft hysteria has hit an all time high. In previous years the draft would have been this past weekend and we would now be discussing the Chiefs selections and scouring the internet for information on these new players. However, thanks to the NFL wanting to squeeze every last bit of media attention out of the event we now have two extra weeks to wait. I’ve already begun assembling my final Chiefs mock for next week leading up to the draft, but first I thought it would be good to take one final close look at the current roster to see exactly where KC needs to make additions before the start of the season.

So this week I’m going to break down the Chiefs roster position by position. In order to determine the likelihood of KC using one of their coveted six draft picks on a position I’m going to answer three questions:

Would the Chiefs be okay if they started the season with just the players they currently have at this position?

Would the Chiefs prefer to get an upgraded starter at this position?

Are the Chiefs in need of adding depth or a long term replacement player at this position?

After answering those three questions I’ll assign a draft need score from 1-10 with “10” meaning that KC absolutely must add a player at that position in the draft and “1” meaning there is essentially no need for a player at that position.

Let’s begin with the most important position of all………

QUARTERBACK:

Oct 6, 2013; Nashville, TN, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) makes adjustments at the line against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at LP Field. The Chiefs beat the Titans 26-17. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

Players Currently On The Roster:

Alex Smith (starter)
Chase Daniel
Tyler Bray

Would the Chiefs be okay if they started the season with just the players they currently have?

Yes. Not all KC fans are 100% sold on Smith as the long term QB for the Chiefs but he had arguably his best season ever in the first year in Kansas City working under Andy Reid. They have a backup with some NFL experience in Chase Daniel and a possible long term project in the strong armed Tyler Bray.

Would the Chiefs prefer to get an upgraded starter at this position?

No, while some fans aren’t sold, I believe that both Andy Reid and John Dorsey are all in on Alex Smith.

Are the Chiefs in need of adding depth or a long term replacement player at this position?

Maybe. Chase Daniel is fine for a short term fill in, but if Alex Smith were to miss substantial time I don’t think KC would feel all that optimistic about it’s chances with Daniel at the helm. Tyler Bray offers some promising long term upside, but he did go undrafted last season so its not as if he’s an elite prospect. While upgrading the back up QB situation is not a must it is an option. Quarterback is such an important position that if Reid sees a prospect that he really likes in the mid to late rounds he may scoop them up. If nothing else they could provide trade value down the line (i.e. Kevin Kolb).

Draft Need Rating: 3