A survey of the latest NFL mock drafts shows that most football analysts have the Kansas City Chiefs grabbing a cornerback in the first round next April.
As the NFL season wears on and various teams end up giving up their competitive hopes for yet another year, the attention of many fan bases turns to mock drafts and the looming offseason. Due to this, it’s common to find more and more mock entrants, which we’re seeing more of as the NFL soon enters the final quarter of the regular season.
When polling players the Chiefs could potentially grab at or near the bottom of the first round, most draftniks will project some help in the secondary for K.C., specifically at the cornerback position. It’s not difficult to understand given the team’s inability to stop the pass this season at key points. Just look to the fact that the Chiefs scored 40 against the Patriots on the road and 51 against the Rams, again on the road, and lost both games. That’s 91 points in losing efforts—and those are the only two blemishes on the schedule.
Over at Bleacher Report, Ryan McCrystal predicts the Chiefs will select cornerback Deandre Baker from Georgia in this year’s first round. Baker would provide some nice, experienced help for the Chiefs secondary and could likely step right in as a starter from the outset. The Chiefs will bring back Kendall Fuller for sure, but could also watch Orlando Scandrick and Steven Nelson walk this spring in free agency.
Baker is a bit small at 5’10, 180 lbs., but he’s gotten the job done against the biggest and best in college and has experience outside and in the slot for the Bulldogs. He has 23 passes defended and 7 interceptions in his career, so far, at Georgia.
Meanwhile at The Draft Wire, Luke Easterling thinks the Chiefs could go cornerback as well, but he’s got his eyes on a bit bigger target in Kris Boyd, a 6’0, 195 lb. prospect from Texas. Boyd has put up his best season to date for the Longhorns by allowing only 36 receptions on 72 targets, per Pro Football Focus.
No matter who they grab, it won’t be a big surprise if the Chiefs end up taking some help defending the pass. Despite swapping Fuller for Marcus Peters last offseason, there’s been a slow steady leak of talent from the position without a lot of investment to make up for the losses.