2017 NFL Draft: Offensive crushes for the Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes – Quarterback – Texas Tech

There is no player in the 2017 NFL Draft that I would like to see end up in Kansas City more than Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Period. Now, having said that, let me say that I’ll be thrilled with any first round quarterback (except maybe Davis Webb, but I’d probably end up coming around on him as well). You might go so far as to say that my biggest draft crush isn’t on a specific player but simply on the idea of the Chiefs finally taking a first round quarterback. Now, while I’ll be thrilled with ANY first round quarterback, the one I really want is Mahomes.

Now, part of the reason I will be over the moon if the Chiefs draft Mahomes is because it means that both John Dorsey and Andy Reid want the guy. I will be the first to admit that Mahomes is very rough around the edges. His footwork is a mess. He is a little too careless with the football. He sometimes gets happy feet in the pocket and is coming from the Texas Tech “Air Raid” offense that has not lead to NFL success for quarterbacks in the past. That is why I will be okay if Mahomes is on the board at No. 27 and the Chiefs pass on him. I will take that to mean that the Chiefs did their homework on him and decided they didn’t think he could overcome those flaws. However, if they do take him it means that they did their homework on him and decided that he COULD overcome those flaws.

This may sound crazy to some, but I will be more excited if the Chiefs trade up to get Mahomes (or any QB) than I will be if they take one where they stand. While it would be nice not to have to give up extra picks, the fact that they wanted him bad enough to give them up means they are that much more excited about his upside. Think of it this way, if the Chiefs know the Texans at No. 25 are on the market for a quarterback and they don’t think enough of one to move up three spots to ensure they get him, how excited about that quarterback could they be? The higher the Chiefs would move up to take Mahomes, the higher they think his upside is.

So what is it about Mahomes that I love so much? The simple answer is his upside. If you watch Mahomes play a single game, you’ll see it. It’s not just that he has a cannon arm its that he’s shown the ability to be accurate with it. According to Pro Football Focus, his adjusted completion percentage of 75.4% was 7th best in all of college football last season. So arguably the best arm in college football was also one of the most accurate? Sign me up.

While I have been a supporter of Alex Smith and backed him as the Chiefs best option at quarterback since he came to Kansas City it doesn’t mean that I don’t see his limitations. He plays it TOO safe. He checks down TOO much. Mahomes has a swagger about him and pushes the ball down field. According to Pro Football Focus his average depth of target on the season was 9.3 yards past the line of scrimmage. So his average pass was thrown to the first down marker. I don’t know what Smith’s average was last season, but I promise you it wasn’t anywhere near that high.

In my opinion, Mahomes has the highest ceiling of the quarterbacks in the 2017 NFL draft. If the Chiefs draft him it means that they believe they can get him to that ceiling despite his “risks”. That is why he is my number one draft crush of 2017.

Next up, the player I think could help the KC offense the most in 2017.