Matt Miller has a new 7-round mock draft out which gives fans of every franchise a decent idea of what their year’s overall draft haul could bring.
Matt Miller is the NFL draft expert over at Bleacher Report, and he’s got a brand new 7-round mock draft that should have everyone talking given its depth and breadth. For franchises who aren’t either in shock from a Super Bowl loss or buzzing about an unexpected victory, mock drafts are a great way to forget about the troubles of the previous season and look forward to the potential of the next year.
For the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL Draft is looking better and better given the recent trade that sent Alex Smith, the team’s starting quarterback for the last five seasons, to the Washington Redskins. The reason is that the Chiefs went into this offseason down their first round pick after trading it to the Buffalo Bills last season for Patrick Mahomes, the rookie quarterback sensation out of Texas Tech.
The fact that Washington threw in a third round pick along with cornerback Kendall Fuller gives fans more picks to enjoy in mock drafts as they await the real thing at the end of April.
Let’s take a closer look at what a full draft class might resemble using Miller’s seven-round mock.
2nd round – Kyzir White, safety, West Virginia
White is a nice safety prospect who would certainly fit the needs of the Chiefs early on. Upgrading the secondary should be the paramount concern this offseason for the Chiefs, even after trading for Kendall Fuller, and the safety position is the best place to start.
While all accounts about Eric Berry reference how “fantastic” he looks, the reality is that he’s coming off of yet another season-ending injury and Derrick Johnson showed this year just how quickly an athlete can begin to lose their speed and athleticism. Given that Berry and Ron Parker are both 30 (or will be this year), the Chiefs definitely need to invest in youth and potential at the position.
White looks like a Dan Sorensen type who is better suited as a hybrid player in sub package situation. He’s got great size, is strong against the run, can get after the quarterback, is a solid tackler and plays well downhill. He could definitely start in a pinch, but as a rookie, he could supplant Sorensen and allow the Chiefs to begin to transition in the years to come.
3rd round – Jeff Holland, edge, Auburn
The idea of another pass rusher from Auburn might make some Chiefs fans cringe, but Bob Sutton’s defense could undoubtedly use another young pass rusher to develop (and maybe even more than one). Last year’s pass rushing effort as a team was unacceptable, and the Chiefs simply must focus on tightening up the secondary and the front line to make the total unit more efficient.
Holland had 45 tackles, including 13.5 of them for a loss, 4 forced fumbles and 10 sacks (the most since Dee Ford) last season in his only year as a starter for the Tigers. He replaced Carl Lawson who made a nice transition to the pros as a pass rusher last year. The limited experience will be a knock against him, which means he’ll need to impress with a standout pre-draft season to wow scouts above a third round grade.
3rd round – Simmie Cobbs, wide receiver, Indiana
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Here’s where grabbing an extra third round choice from Washington really begins to help, because at this stage, Brett Veach has already addressed the defense with two aggressive performers at two positions of need. He can either choose to stockpile talent at those same places in hopes of creating depth, competition and a surplus of talent or he can shift his focus entirely, which is what Miller has him doing here.
The Chiefs are set at wide receiver, even if Albert Wilson leaves. They still have last year’s pick in Jehu Chesson, for whom John Dorsey traded up to get in the fourth round, as a relative unknown as he sits behind Tyreek Hill, Chris Conley and DeMarcus Robinson. Given the presence of Travis Kelce and Kareem Hunt, there simply aren’t a lot of targets to go around in K.C.
That said, Simmie Cobbs is a nice upside play for the present and the future, a prospect whose ceiling could elevate him above Conley from the outset if he’s impressive enough. Even if not, he would create significant competition for Patrick Mahomes’ potential wideouts, and giving their gunslinger the best possible options is never a bad idea.
Cobbs would immediately become the single biggest target for the Chiefs offense and therein lies his value to Veach. At 6’4, 220 lbs., Cobbs would be an end zone favorite alongside Kelce who could create mismatches when the team needs it most. Cobbs had 72 catches for 842 yards and 8 touchdowns last year for the Hoosiers.
4th Round – Kendrick Norton, defensive lineman, Miami
The defensive emphasis and youth movement continues in this draft on Day 3, and most Chiefs fans will likely be just fine with that outcome. The Chiefs face several key decisions along the defensive front, so the addition of Kendrick Norton would definitely help to stave off any bleeding that might result from free agency.
For now the Chiefs could lose Bennie Logan to free agency as well as Jarvis Jenkins. Allen Bailey is also getting very expensive as he enters the last year of his extension. Chris Jones remains a rock in the middle, but the Chiefs were already thin along the defensive front before any potential exits even take place.
Norton’s primary gift to the Chiefs would be his tremendous size, depending on how he officially weighs in at the NFL Combine, but he’s credited at 6’3, 312 lbs. He had 26 total tackles last year for Miami and 2 sacks. He might be able to separate himself from being seen as a mere rotational body at the next level with excellent drills at the Combine and his Pro Day. For now at least he’d give the Chiefs someone to spell Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Jones as they rebuild their line.
6th Round – Siran Neal, cornerback, Jacksonville State
Here in the sixth round, the Chiefs take a flyer on a small-school prospect to help bolster their secondary. It’s important to note that the team faces serious losses in the secondary in terms of depth as Kenneth Acker, Terrance Mitchell and Phillip Gaines are all free agents. Even if you say the Chiefs will miss zero of them, they’re still experienced players who need to be replaced (and if they all leave you might realize the Chiefs will miss them more than expected).
Neal was a first-team All-American in FCS play this year even after making a positional switch from linebacker. He had 33 tackles and 11 passes defended and was invited to the Senior Bowl.