The Kansas City Chiefs are linked to some significant secondary help in the latest round of mock drafts released this week.
The latest round of new mocks are out looking forward to the 2019 NFL Draft, and the Kansas City Chiefs are projected to get some much-needed help in the secondary in the first round if draft experts are correct.
This year has been a rough one for the Chiefs defense as injuries and inconsistency have both taken a toll on an already thin unit. Eric Berry rarely played during the regular season and Dan Sorensen missed the first half of the year. Armani Watts went on injured reserve after a handful of weeks. Robert Golden walked out on the team for personal reasons before the year even started. And that’s all at safety.
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At cornerback, Kendall Fuller needed some time to adjust to a new team and environment, while Steven Nelson adjusted to life without Marcus Peters. David Amerson failed to yield any desirable results, so Orlando Scandrick stepped in as the veteran replacement. Young players like Tremon Smith or Charvarius Ward simply weren’t ready for any meaningful action until very late in the year.
Fortunately, some help is on the way if mock experts are correct. Trevor Sikkema has the Chiefs selecting a cornerback out of Georgia, DeAndre Baker, in the first round over at The Draft Network. Meanwhile, Darryl Slater at NJ.com has Alabama safety Deionte Thompson falling to the Chiefs near the bottom of the opening round.
Bringing in a first-round safety would shift the short and long-term plan at the position, but that would be a wonderful problem for the team. Given the uncertainty of Berry’s health going forward, Thompson would provide an upgrade at either safety role and a young tandem of Watts and Thompson moving forward as Brett Veach figures out what to do with the lingering veteran pieces.
Getting a first round corner would also be very helpful for a team that will see Nelson hit unrestricted free agency this spring. Scandrick is also a free agent to be. Fuller is on the roster as a sure thing, but the jury is still out on Ward and Smith, and the Chiefs undoubtedly need another pillar at the position.