NFL Scouting Combine: Defensive standouts for the Kansas City Chiefs

Here’s a look at several defensive players who stood out at the Combine and likely moved up the Chiefs big board for the 2019 NFL Draft.

The 2019 NFL Scouting Combine had a number of standouts on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Performances at the annual combine are only part and parcel of the overall evaluative experience. Football teams will not draft a player purely based on his times in particular drills, but they will use the combine results to evaluate players and help them come to a conclusion for potential scenarios in which they might draft the player in question. It allows for players from lesser schools or those who have fallen off of scouts’ draft boards to make the latter give them a second look. That’s important to note because the prospects below are being evaluated in this article based on their combine results (which includes measurables).

Arrowhead Addict columnist Lyle Graversen already looked at the offensive side of the ball for prospects who could help the Chiefs in the upcoming 2019 NFL Draft. This time, we’ll focus on defensive prospects broken down by position. We’ll list the top three prospects per combine group that would fit with the Chiefs (and be a realistic draft option based on where the Chiefs’ picks are located throughout the draft).

Defensive Linemen

The defensive lineman class was loaded with speedy, beefy talent from top to bottom. Prospects like Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who is projected to possibly go in the top three, lit up the combine. There were some disappointing performances, but in that mix were prospects from smaller schools or lesser-known prospects who could potentially slide through the cracks and fall to the Chiefs.

Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame

• 6-foot-6, 295 pounds
• 34 1/4″ arm length
• 40-yard Dash: 4.93
• Bench Press: 23 reps
• Vertical Jump: 32.0 inches
• 3 Cone Drill: 7.45 seconds
• 20-yard Shuttle: 4.33

Tillery is an interesting prospect. He has been projected to anywhere from late first round to late second round. He has great length and size, both of which will contribute to him being a dominant force in the NFL. Considering there were some quarterbacks who ran in the 5< range for the 40-yard dash, including Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins, Tillery’s time of 4.93 seconds is a great number—even more so for being 6-foot-6, with an arm length of 34 1/4 inches. With his size, his ability to turn on a dime was especially impressive—as evident in his 7.45 second time in the 3 cone drill.

After a discouraging start to his collegiate career, Tillery dominated in his final season, turning heads of NFL scouts and draft analysts throughout the league and its networks. While the Chiefs should not spend their first-round pick on him, if they are able to get him in the second round with one of their two late picks, it would be a huge addition, one that would surely bolster their front seven in the club’s new 4-3 scheme led by new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

He could be an instant starter next to rising star Derrick Nnadi, who stood out for the Chiefs defensively as a rookie in the 2018 season. Tillery had a score at the combine of 89 (max. 99) according to Next Gen Stats.

Demarcus Christmas, Florida State

• 6-foot-3, 294 pounds
• 32 3/4″ arm length
• 40-yard Dash: 5.08
• Bench Press: 22 reps
• Vertical Jump: 25.0 inches
• Broad Jump: 101 inches
• 3 Cone Drill: 8.13 seconds
• 20-yard Shuttle: 5.07

Christmas is not a speedy lineman, but the position is not meant to have speed rushers, but rather bull rushers who can get to the quarterback or stuff the run, whatever is asked of them. He has a lot to learn in terms of technique, but the physicality is there. The athleticism could be a question, what with the 3 cone drill and overall speed, but for a prospect who is projected to go in the sixth or seventh round, it is not terrible. He could fit in with the Chiefs as a rotational player behind Nnadi and Xavier Williams, filling in often. He has the potential to develop with the Chiefs and could be a decent option moving forward. Low risk, moderately high reward.

Daniel Wise, Kansas

• 6-foot-3, 281 pounds
• 33″ arm length
• 40-yard Dash: 5.28
• Bench Press: 22 reps
• Verticle Jump: 27.5 inches
• Broad Jump: 112.0 inches
• 3 Cone Drill: 7.53 seconds
• 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.37 seconds

Wise is one of those interesting prospects. He does not have the size to bull-rush blockers at the line of scrimmage but makes up for it with his athleticism and ability to penetrate through the offensive line. He would fit well in the 4-3 scheme for the Chiefs, having played in multiple schemes in his collegiate career as a Jayhawk. Projected as a fourth to fifth round pick, the Chiefs could select Wise in the event that he falls to the fifth round. Like Christmas, he would be a nice addition behind Williams and Nnadi, developing with starter potential.

If he is able to beef up and work on his technique, he would definitely be lethal in the league. His combine performance was interesting as well. His 3 cone drill proved that he has the speed and ability to cut direction, even if he does not have tremendous speed. Could prove to be productive as the Chiefs move to make an emphasis on run defense. Low risk, high reward with Wise. He had a combine score of 92, according to Next Gen Stats.