Sep 28, 2013; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Bradley Roby (1) reacts after the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Ohio Stadium. Buckeyes beat the Badgers 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Terez A. Paylor and the Kansas City Star released their 2.0 version of a the paper’s mock draft, and this time they have the Chiefs avoiding offense altogether.
Before we get into the pick, it would be irresponsible to note a tweet Paylor sent out along with the mock draft. The tweets should help give some context to what the paper is trying to accomplish with the mock drafts.
My goal in my mock drafts (I’ll be doing four more) is to identify different ways the board can fall and players/positions #Chiefs could go.
— RIP Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) April 13, 2014
So keep this in mind while reading.
With the 23rd pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Paylor projects the Chiefs will select Bradley Roby, a cornerback from Ohio State. Here’s the write-up:
"The Chiefs have already given big-time money to Sean Smith and Brandon Flowers, but for a team in the AFC West, the road to the Super Bowl leads through Denver and star quarterback Peyton Manning, and the Chiefs’ two losses to the Broncos — not to mention their playoff loss to Indianapolis — showed you can never have enough cornerbacks.Adding Roby to the mix, along with Marcus Cooper and Chris Owens, gives the Chiefs at least five playable cornerbacks. It also provides valuable insurance at the position in case the team decides to save money next year by cutting Smith or Flowers."
The logic of the pick makes sense, but the Chiefs may value the pass rusher – Kony Ealy, who Paylor has going with the very next pick – more than corner. Pundits seem to agree there is good cornerback depth in this class while pass rushers may be harder to find. Ealy is one of the drafts better pass rushers, and could be a fit for the Chiefs as a potential future replacement for Tamba Hali.
Drafting a cornerback would still makes sense if the Chiefs think they have identified quality pass rushing prospects in the later rounds. As Paylor said, the deeper the Chiefs can be in the secondary, the better. Not only for the 2014 season but also for flexibility next off season.
What do you think picking Roby, Addicts?