The latest mock draft is in from Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, and he believes the Chiefs will go with the live arm of Patrick Mahomes.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been checking out the top arms in the upcoming NFL Draft, and most fans are hoping that’s a sign that the team will select one early—perhaps even in the first round at No. 27 overall. Daniel Jeremiah agrees and sends Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes to the Chiefs in his latest mock draft and fourth overall of the offseason. He writes:
"Alex Smith is a good quarterback but hasn’t been quite good enough to lead a team to a championship. This is a little early for Mahomes but he has tremendous upside."
Mahomes was recently in Kansas City for a visit with the Chiefs so a connection there is very natural for Jeremiah to consider. Mahomes is a system quarterback, so there is definitely some work ahead for the Chiefs coaching staff, should they take him, to make sure his technique and footwork are right. However the live arm and instincts are spot-on, and there’s good reason why Andy Reid would be anxious to work with Mahomes.
The Chiefs still have Smith, as Jeremiah mentions, so there’s some breathing room for the Chiefs to sit Mahomes and let him learn behind Smith and next to Tyler Bray or whoever ends up as the third quarterback on the roster. Smith’s financial hit gets easier to take, if released, starting next season so there’s an assumption being made by many that Smith would be released or traded by 2018 if Mahomes was ready to take over.
Mahomes threw 41 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last year for the Red Raiders.