The K.C. Chiefs Fix Scenarios

Fixing the Wide Receiver Position

There are many more very good wide receivers in this draft than there are offensive linemen. There are two positions in this draft that are loaded: Wide receiver and Defensive linemen. However, the Defensive linemen are loaded with top notch prospects while the wide receivers are more along the lines of… very, very good but not excellent.

So, it stands to reason that the Chiefs will make a move to get a wide out in the first three rounds. Since the only top rated free agent this regime has signed in the past three years was receiver Jeremy Maclin last offseason it doesn’t appear likely that they’ll follow suit this year. Not with all the free agents from the Chiefs own 2015 team that need to be re-signed.

If one of the fix scenarios is to fix the wide receiver position this year then they will likely take a WR in rounds 1-through-4..

Fixing the Defensive Line

If fixing the defensive line is a top priority there appears to be more options for getting that done this offseason, than for fixing other positions. If re-signing Jaye Howard isn’t possible, then drafting a top tier defensive lineman who can step in right away looks like a good bet but that will have to be done in either the first, or perhaps the second, round. There really are that many quality DL  in this draft that the Chiefs could wait until early on day two, to get their Jaye Howard replacement… should they decide to go that direction.

Knowing that this is a great possibility makes this offseason fix for the Chiefs look a little bit like a 1st round battle between the OL vs. the DL vs. WR… even though Dorsey promises he only takes the best player available (bpa).

Because there are so many of their own free agents to sign it looks like most of the answers to this offseason fixes will come through the draft. If the Chiefs go OL in the first round of the draft then they could probably get a top notch DL in the second round… thus leaving the WR position until the third round when only good but not excellent WRs will be available.

If the Chiefs go WR in the first or second rounds… then either the DL or the OL will be left out in the cold, so to speak. That will be especially problematic if they don’t re-sign Jaye Howard before the draft.

With DE Mike DeVito taking a walk… along with Jaye Howard… signing a defensive lineman in the draft becomes imperative. Even if DeVito returns, which I hear is now a possibility, getting a defensive lineman early is a must.

Fixing the TE position

One way to improve the dynamics of the passing game is to draft a top tier tight end this year. By drafting the top TE the Chiefs will be able to line up in their three TE sets more often which places a tremendous amount of pressure on the defenses they face.

Let’s say the Chiefs could draft the top TE in this draft, Hunter Henry, in the second round. That would allow them to line up with Travis Kelce at 6-foot-5, Demetrius Harris at 6-foot-7 and Hunter Henry at 6-foot-6… and then they can either take advantage of the mismatches all over the secondary or they can play smash mouth with J.C. or Spencer Ware (I left purposely Charcandrick West out of this discussion for good reason, because he likely will not be used in power running situations).

Harris is going into his fourth season so he should be coming into his own as a receiver now and become more than a good blocker. He only had 7 receptions last year but if the Chiefs pick up another top tight end, the three of them could create a checkmate match-up chess game for opposing defensive coordinators.

It would be great if the Chiefs went that route because I don’t believe that either Brian Parker or James O’Shaughnessy are the answer. Neither will ever strike fear into a defense while I think there are a couple of tight ends in this draft who could do that. Plus, I believe it would be easier to obtain another tight end with Kelce-ish hands than to find another Jeremy Maclin in this draft.

Next: Who Might Fix the Defensive Backfield?