AA Mock Draft: Chiefs get their QB of the future

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We are less than a month away from the 2016 NFL Draft!!! That means mock draft season is coming to an end…which also means more and more mock drafts. Over the next several weeks, we’re all going to be flooded with various perspectives on how each team may end up drafting.

Some picks will be ridiculous, some will be accurate. Some picks will make sense and still be wrong, while others will seem impossible and end up right. And it won’t just be the pundits getting involved. No, this is a time of year where the fans love to get involved as well.

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As we continue along, we also see how NFL teams are addressing their rosters to try and get out of having to focus on particular holes. In truth, every team wants to take the best player available (BPA) with every pick. John Dorsey has spoken about this in the past. But in the non-ideal state that teams are in when drafting, that often gives way to addressing their more pressing needs.

That’s an easy way to look at the draft…but also the easiest way to get yourself into a hole when a player doesn’t meet expectations. Chiefs fans should be well aware of that (Tyson Jackson and Jon Baldwin were both drafted for need).

Teams go into the draft with a specific strategy and goal. And that’s what I’ve got for the Chiefs this week. In this week’s mock draft, the Chiefs turn their sights towards ensuring that they stay at the top of the league for years to come. And to do this, they (finally) grab their quarterback of the future in Paxton Lynch.

Alex Smith has helped bring the Chiefs back to success, but the team needs to consider its future. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Now, understand this…I am not, in any way, calling for the Chiefs to get rid of Alex Smith. Smith is still the starting QB for the Kansas City Chiefs even with Paxton Lynch being drafted in the first round. There is no “cut/bench/trade Smith” talk being insinuated here.

If you take anything even remotely similar to that from this article, you are doing so on your own accord and without any provocation from me. But since I already know that half of you will completely ignore that…

The Chiefs need to be thinking about their future with Alex Smith’s contract up in a couple of years. While he has done very well in Kansas City, and exceeded the expectations of just about everyone, the truth is that he will be 34 years old when his contract expires.

With the exception of the elite QBs in this league, the truth is that very few guys have success at the position at that age. The Chiefs will be in a position where they have to make a hard decision, and it would be smart to have another option in house when that time comes (see: Denver Broncos current QB situation).

Getting a young QB to groom behind Smith is just smart planning for the future. And while Paxton Lynch isn’t necessarily my favorite option for the Chiefs, he does make sense and the team has worked him out.

For those of you looking to do your own research, here are some excellent resources, including a site where you can run your own mock draft simulation:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2016/all

http://www.nfl.com/combine

http://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/

I invite everyone to offer up their opinions own mocks in the comments section. Mock drafts are meant for interaction and discussion. There are still plenty of players I need to study up on, so I’m sure I have missed more than a few that other people are interested in.

Next: QBOTF!!!

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