Mel Kiper and Todd McShay Release New NFL Mock Drafts

Jan 1, 2014; Tampa, Fl, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Odell Beckham (3) celebrates after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 21-14 at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Mel Kiper and Todd McShay each have new mock drafts out today, just in time for the weekend. Let’s breakdown who each analyst picked and see how it fits for the Chiefs.

MEL KIPER

Let’s begin with the fact that Kiper has the Houston Texans selecting Johnny Manziel number one overall ahead of Teddy Bridgewater. So, keep that in mind.

With the 23rd overall pick, Kansas City will be selecting Kelvin Benjamin, wide receiver from Florida State, according to Kiper. Here’s what he wrote about the selection.

"The Chiefs have Dwayne Bowe, and they like the development of former first-round pick A.J. Jenkins, but they also have a limited QB in Alex Smith, a player who needs receivers to be playmakers to make up for the fact that he’s not exactly going to pick defenses apart. I thought Benjamin could use another year of seasoning at Florida State, but given his size, speed, catch radius and ability to beat defenders before the catch and run away from them after the catch, he could be a steal here. The Chiefs don’t need him to be a hero in Week 1."

Kiper brings up an interesting point I had not considered. If the Chiefs do go wide receiver in the first round, they’ll have three former first round picks at receiver heading into 2014. The upside there would be very appealing should all three fit in with Andy Reid’s scheme. Not very many teams could feature a 6-4 wide receiver with 4.4 speed, a 6-foot wide receiver with 4.3 speed, and a 6-2 All-Pro wide receiver. Throw in a potential gem in Weston Dressler and things look much better for the Chiefs offense.

The problem is, if this is going to work, it won’t work until 2015 at the earliest. And that’s if it works. Benjamin is being draft here, by Kiper’s own admission, for his potential and not for his present abilities. Kansas City needs a more sure thing out of their first round pick.

TODD MCSHAY

McShay and Kiper seem to be on the same page that the Chiefs are going to take a wide receiver. But, shockingly, they disagree about which receiver the Chiefs will select.

With the 23rd overall pick, Kansas City will be selecting Odell Beckham Jr., wide receiver from LSU, according to McShay. Here’s what he wrote about the selection.

"The Chiefs are in need of more offensive weapons, and Beckham seems like a good fit in Kansas City. He played his best football in 2013, and in particular his ball skills and overall focus improved late in the season. He isn’t as consistent as teammate Jarvis Landry, but he’s more explosive, a playmaker who is a threat to stretch the field and even more dangerous after the catch and on punt returns. Notre Dame DL Stephon Tuitt would make a lot of sense here as well, as would Fresno State WR Davante Adams, but Florida State WR Kelvin Benjamin is too much of a risk-reward prospect for the Chiefs to select at No. 23."

The problem I have with McShay’s draft is who was still available at 23 that he did not select for the Chiefs. If Stephon Tuitt is available to the Chiefs at 23 overall, the Chiefs are going to select him. Passing on a 20-year old, 303 pound defensive end who accumulated 22 sacks in the last two years is not going to happen. Or at least it should not happen.

Kansas City’s biggest defensive need is generating a pass rush from their defensive line. The more pressure Kansas City can get from their pass rush, the more it is going to help the secondary. And if Justin Houston taught us anything, it is that the Chiefs have no pass rushing depth on the roster. Stephon Tuitt may be the single most impactful player the Chiefs can select in this year’s draft for both the 2014 season and beyond. If he’s there, the Chiefs better take him.

What are your thoughts on who McShay and Kiper chose? Is there someone else you’d like to see the Chiefs draft?