What if the Kansas City Chiefs had kept all of their original draft picks?
By Matt Conner
Round 1 (No. 27 overall)
Used or traded: Traded in package of picks to move up and select Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes
Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU
Does this fit: The Chiefs actually moved up to take quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but the idea of taking the most talented cornerback available in the moment would have pleased many Chiefs fans. Even now, many Chiefs fans are wondering how they went through the entire NFL Draft without landing one member from such a loaded draft class. Even Pro Football Focus believes cornerback is the biggest issue on the Chiefs roster.
Adding Tre’Davious White, a physical corner from LSU, would have been a nice addition to the secondary that will lose Phillip Gaines in free agency after this year. Maybe Terrance Mitchell is the answer opposite Marcus Peters, but the small sample size from last year is hard for some people to depend upon. After all, Marcus Cooper looked brilliant for a stretch here in K.C. as well. White’s presence would keep Nelson in the slot and force Gaines, Mitchell, D.J. White and others to fight over the remaining spots in nickel and dime packages. It also makes for an elite young secondary that’s on the cheap for the next few years.
Other picks available that make sense for the Chiefs: White is actually a nice grab here for K.C., but other options included Kevin King or Sidney Jones. The Chiefs also could have solved any linebacker concerns with Reuben Foster or added an edge rusher like T.J. Watt or Taco Charlton.
Round 2 (No. 59 overall)
Used or traded: Used
Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE, Villanova
This is the first of only two original picks retained by the Chiefs from the original ones given. Kpassagnon is an interesting grab in the second for many reasons, but when John Dorsey compares a kid to Sean Jones, a player with 113 career sacks, it’s hard to fault him for taking it. Even if Kpassagnon only ends up with half of that total for his career, that’s a very nice NFL career.
Other picks available that make sense for the Chiefs: I was personally yelling “Awuzie” at the TV over and over at this point in the draft, pulling for the Chiefs to grab Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado. The Cowboys pulled the trigger on the very next pick. RB Alvin Kamara would have made a lot of sense here as well as a promising interior OL like Dan Feeney, Pat Elflein or Dion Dawkins.