2019 NFL mock draft: Kansas City Chiefs add Washington safety Taylor Rapp

The latest mock draft is out for 2019 from Pro Football Focus and the Kansas City Chiefs are projected to add a playmaking safety in the first round.

The latest 2019 NFL mock draft is out from Steve Palazzolo over at Pro Football Focus, and he has the Kansas City Chiefs selecting exactly what fans are begging for at the NFL’s trade deadline: a playmaking safety.

Taylor Rapp is a stud safety from the University of Washington turning heads this season. At 6’0, 202 lbs., he has the requisite size and he’s emerged as a well-rounded defensive back for the Huskies over the last three seasons. This season, Rapp has 34 total tackles, including 4 for a loss, to go with 3 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 interception.  Palazzolo writes:

"Defensive playmakers are needed in the Kansas City secondary, and Rapp has the ability to cover tight ends, slot receivers or running backs, all leading to an 89.1 coverage grade, good for seventh in the nation this season."

It’s a sad reality that the Chiefs would even need to focus a first round pick on the safety position given the team’s level of investment there already. Eric Berry is just starting to hit the salary cap in a major way after signing a six-year deal just last year, and his number will only increase in 2019 to over $16 million against the team’s cap. Armani Watts was taken in the fourth round this last year, and Dan Sorensen remains among the highest ten paid Chiefs on the roster. Yet none of the three are playing and the Chiefs are making due with an odd array of characters who present plenty of concerns if depended upon down the stretch and into the postseason.

If the Chiefs were to officially add a first-round safety like Rapp, it’s likely that Sorensen would be gone from the roster to save some cap room. It’s also possible the Chiefs could talk to Berry’s representatives about a potential restructuring of a contract in which he’s only played in part of a single game in two years—at least so far.

Then again if Eric Berry can return to the field and play at even a high percentage of what is normal for him, the Chiefs won’t have to worry about a need at safety after all.