We’re now less than a month away from the 2016 NFL Draft. Last week, we took a look at a pair of unheralded players I think the Kansas City Chiefs should consider with the 28th overall pick. Today, I’d like to ponder what the Chiefs might do if a highly-regarded prospect falls to them at the bottom of the first round. For the purpose of this week’s column, that player is former Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. Kansas City has security at the position for the foreseeable future, but if the Chiefs are to be viable contenders for the next several years, they’ll need to identify a successor for Alex Smith.
Don’t the Chiefs already have two talented young prospects waiting in the wings?
The answer to that question depends entirely upon who you ask. Aaron Murray had a tremendous collegiate career in one of the toughest conferences in the NCAA. He’s undersized, but has a similar stature to the Drew Brees’ and Russell Wilson’s of the NFL. Unfortunately, he may not share the arm talent. He’s still very much a project, but Murray’s an experienced, four-year college starter who showed significant signs of improvement in the preseason last fall. Whether or not the backup position, vacated by Chase Daniel, falls to him in his third season remains to be seen.
Tyler Bray is similarly gifted, but he’s also much more raw as a prospect. He too is a product of the SEC, but he had only one truly productive season in the college ranks. In 2012, Bray finished the year with 34 touchdowns, just 12 interceptions, and more than 3,600 passing yards. Unlike Murray, the former Volunteer came to Kansas City as an undrafted free agent. Three seasons into his NFL career, he’s struggled to make quantifiable headway and has been stuck at the bottom of the team’s depth chart.
Next: Scouting Lynch...