Tradedown from 28 could be in Chiefs’ best interests

There have been numerous reports out about how the Kansas City Chiefs are going to target a cornerback in the first round of the 2016 draft that kicks off in just over four weeks. The problem is that the 28th pick is a tough spot to grab a cornerback that will start immediately for your team since so many other teams ahead of the Chiefs may also be looking for a starter at that position.

The Chiefs set a high bar last year by drafting Marcus Peters with their first pick and giving him the starting role instantly. Peters turned out to be the steal of the draft as he took defensive rookie of the year and had quite the historical season. Now every team will be looking to find that same impact corner that can make game changing plays for their respective defenses.

Assuming that a top tier quarterback like Paxton Lynch doesn’t fall into their laps (perfect to sit a year or two behind Alex Smith) then the Chiefs will need to avoid the reach and either go for another position, as Lyle Graversen pointed out here, or trade down to get a few more picks and back into the third round.

There are a few teams with mid round picks that have just enough talent to turn around their mediocre 2015 season with just a few additions in the draft, perfect trade partners for Kansas City.  Miami, Oakland, and Indianapolis all sit between picks 10 and 17 in the second round and Miami would want to get back into the first round since trading that pick to Philadelphia for DeMarco Murray.

Knowing that many picked Indianapolis to win the Super Bowl pre-season last year makes you think that they shouldn’t be that far away and if they see a linebacker or defensive lineman that they like at 28 then the Chiefs will have the ball in their court to work a trade.

The key for the Chiefs is to not only get another pick to go along with the second rounder but getting that pick within the 5th round. Pick 28 isn’t exactly high market enough to earn a second rounder along with a third but a second with a fifth doesn’t sound too far fetched if the team making the trade likes what they see.

I will admit that it is easy to say the Chiefs should trade this pick and work towards building depth when I have no responsibility within the organization. When I play GM on my Madden game I can always reset if I make a bad move or lose a game. However, even John Dorsey can look back to his first year in Kansas City and see that trading away the number one overall pick would have been the best move over “go-go gadget” reaching for left tackle Eric Fisher. Hopefully that was lesson learned and sticking with the best player available strategy will help them be cautious.

We all continue to speculate and wonder but only a handful of people know who is on the Kansas Cit Chiefs’ draft board. Though we will jump on every rumor for the next four weeks, it is good to remember that only about 30-40% of draft picks in the first three rounds make it to 5 years in the NFL. So no matter what John Dorsey and Andy Reid decide to do with pick number 28, we won’t know how good the pick really is until September when they take the field fresh off their first playoff win in 22 years.