2019 NFL Draft: 11 Edge prospects that fit the Kansas City Chiefs

Should the true first round worthy edge prospects go earlier than the Chiefs would like, there are still plenty of options that they could target on day two of the draft. This tier is actually full of prospects that seem to be a great fit for the Chiefs in that they are bigger edge players that can hold up against the run and potentially play different spots across the line.

Zach Allen – Boston College

If you’re looking for a player that might be the perfect combination of what Brett Veach and Steve Spagnuolo are looking for in their attacking defensive front, it might just be Zach Allen. The 6-4, 281 pound Allen could likely play any spot on K.C.’s defensive front next season.

While Allen doesn’t have the speed and explosiveness of the top edge players, he has enough power/size/relentless effort to consistently get after the quarterback. He only had 5 sacks last season, but he added another 18 quarterback hits and 31 hurries. He’s stout against the run and simply goes 100% on every snap.

I really like Zach Allen and if he were to make it to K.C. in the late second round, it would be a great pick. Then again, I also wouldn’t be shocked if he went earlier than many are predicting and he’s actually in play to go in the late first round (where a certain team I know happens to be picking).

Charles Omenihu – Texas

There’s a lot of similarities to Charles Omenihu and Zach Allen in that they both have the size (6-5, 280 pounds) and power to play all over the defensive line. Omenihu may have had more sacks (8) than Allen but his number of quarterback hits (8) and hurries (22) were both well below Allen’s numbers.

Omenihu isn’t quite as relentless as Allen is, but he does offer an intriguing combination of size/athleticism/power. His freakishly long arms also make it difficult for tackles to get their hands on him. He’ll be a better run defender than a pass rusher early on, but I really like Omenihu’s upside and think he would be a fantastic second round pick if he’s still on the board.

You can see Omenihu winning off the edge with power in the tweet below.

L.J. Collier – TCU

Stop me if this sounds familiar. L.J. Collier is a bigger edge at 6-2 and 283 pounds who could play all over the line for the Chiefs if they were to take him on day two of the NFL draft.

Collier is the stockiest of these Day 2 prospects and, therefore, he’s the one that may be most likely to have to play inside in the NFL. He has just enough speed to combo with his power to bull rush tackles off the edge. Should the Chiefs target Collier, I can see him playing the edge to stop the run in the base 4-3 and then sliding inside in sub packages. I’m not quite as high on Collier as Allen or Omenihu, but he’d still be a fine addition to the Chiefs defensive front.

Anthony Nelson – Iowa

The final Day 2 prospect is another big body in Iowa’s Anthony Nelson, who stands 6-7 and 271 pounds. At that size you might think he’d be another prospect who would move all over the line, but of these four I think Nelson is currently the one that may need to stay outside. While he has great size and gives great effort, you don’t see the strength of the other three guys in this tier in Nelson’s tape.

Nelson does move pretty well for someone his size and did a great job getting after the quarterback for the Hawkeyes last season. His 10 sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and 29 hurries put him near the top of this tier in terms of pass rushing, but his lack of anchor puts him at the bottom of the tier in run defense. If the Chiefs think a professional strength training program can improve that area of his game, he could end up being a steal in the third round.

Next up, a couple of prospects that the Chiefs could target in rounds four and five.