How much will the Kansas City Chiefs draft class make?

Dorian O’Daniel (No. 100 overall)
2018 cap hit: $663K
Total contract amount (through 2021): $3.1M (total)

As the No. 100 overall pick, we’re getting into some really cheap deals for the Chiefs, and the chance to add a very versatile defender like Dorian O’Daniel could reap some serious dividends in terms of cap space if he can supplant current personnel.

For now, the Chiefs are keeping Daniel Sorensen on the roster and have made no overtures that his job security might be in jeopardy. In fact, he’s been mentioned by name in press conferences as a key part of the team even after the purge.

Quick note: I think the timing of the purge was important. Note that Sorensen remains long after the team has traded Marcus Peters, released Ron Parker and watched a roster’s worth of defensive backs enter free agency. If there was a time that Sorensen was going to leave, it was during those weeks.

Here’s the issue: Sorensen is a top 10 cap hit for the Chiefs as of today at $5.3 million. Over the next two years, his cap hit will remain at just under $5 million. Those figures are not good at all.

Consider that Tyrann Mathieu only commanded a one-year deal in free agency worth $7 million. The Chiefs committed four years at $16 million to Sorensen. Starting quality safeties like Tre Boston, Eric Reid, Mike Mitchell, Kenny Vaccaro and more are all also readily available, so it’s hard to believe that Sorensen will stay safe, at least at that salary.

Perhaps the BYU product can still be traded or released if Dorian O’Daniel looks the part in training camp. Or maybe he’s good for this year. But O’Daniel’s similar skill set and versatility could help the Chiefs shed some unfortunate spending at some point, whether now or later—considering O’Daniel’s total deal is millions less than what Sorensen will cost this year alone.