The 2015 NFL Draft takes place live in Chicago this weekend, which means it is time for draftniks and analysts to finalize their predictions for all the happenings and surprises that will come. Accurately predicting the draft is near impossible. All it takes is for one pick to be wrong, and the whole thing begins to unravel. A trade happens? Well, just forget it. Now there’s no telling what to expect.
But it’s still fun to try. It’s fun to imagine yourself in the role of a general manager trying to make a huge decision that could ultimately send your team to the Super Bowl. It’s also a bit entertaining to imagine yourself in the role of general manager of other teams, making terrible moves for your rivals and helping influence the draft so that your favorite team gets the player you really like.
“From the total number of impact players, I would say 10 to 12 players in this draft.” ~ John Dorsey on 2015 Draft prospects
However, if you are going for accuracy, there is only one way to do it… take yourself out of the equation. Forget that you are a fan of any team. Try and approach the draft from 32 different points of view…almost all of which will be far different from yours. It’s a tough proposition to be sure. For instance, I have been talking about Malcom Brown as the Chiefs pick at No. 18 for a while, but he’s not actually the guy I “want” them to take (Kevin Johnson is that guy). He’s just the guy that I think they will take. Brown is simply the best overall player I see being on the board when he Chiefs pick in the first round.
As I recently said about John Dorsey, he is a “Best Player Available” type of general manager, straight out of the Ron Wolf school of thought. He even told us that (when it comes to the draft) “I know no other philosophy than that.” Dorsey also recently stated in a press conference that he sees 10-to-12 impact players in the draft. With the Chiefs drafting at No. 18 overall, it’s not a stretch to think that at least one of those impact players will be available when John Dorsey is officially on the clock.
With that said, here’s how I see the Chiefs draft playing out…
Defensive lineman, Malcom Brown, may not fill an immediate need, but he has the potential to be a phenomenal football player. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
1st (#18): Malcom Brown – DT – Texas
The early runs on pass rushers and wide receivers plays out well for the Chiefs. Brown is a top-15 prospect who slides because of those runs. The Chiefs can use Brown as a defensive end in their base defense, a defensive tackle in their four-man fronts, or use him to allow Dontari Poe to catch a breather. Brown is a quality run stopper and pass rusher with a knack for getting into the backfield.
There are other options here that make sense, but overall I see Brown as the best all-around football player on the board when the Chiefs draft. Add to the fact that Bob Sutton can absolutely make use of his talents, and this pick just makes too much sense to me. I see Brown as being one of those 10-to-12 impact players that John Dorsey was talking about.