Kansas City Chiefs: Regrading Each Pick Of The 2014 NFL Draft
By Brett Gering
Round 3, Pick No. 87: Phillip Gaines, CB, Rice
When Kansas City drafted Phillip Gaines, I noted that he could become a starter after a few years of development. Then injuries ambushed the secondary, and he was in the lineup by Week 7.
Gaines is far from a textbook tackler, and he totes average hands at best. However, his speed and athleticism are off the charts, and his ball skills—in terms of defending passes, at least—were arguably the best in the 2014 cornerback class.
Make no mistake, Gaines isn’t the second coming of Marcus Cooper, whose career went cliff diving throughout his sophomore season.
A-. Gaines’ impact was mostly limited to special teams play throughout the first half of the season; throughout the last half of it, he became the team’s second-best corner. Opponents caught only 57.1 percent of passes in his vicinity—just .1 percent more than Sean Smith. . Phillip Gaines. Kansas City Chiefs. OVERALL GRADE