As we draw closer to the NFL Draft, we are building all kinds of potential scenerios for the Chiefs. Here are the guys the Chiefs should target on day one.
Everyone has a guess at who the Chiefs will be targeting in the first round, but there is a pattern beginning to form. Many love Nasir Adderley and hate Jaylon Ferguson, etc. I have an idea of who I would like to see in a Chiefs uniform.
In this piece, I will be taking the players that Kansas City should be targeting and break them up into three tiers: The trade up tier, the potential fallers and the who will likely be there. Starting with the players that the Chiefs would likely need to move up for:
TRADING UP
The case for moving up for Ed Oliver
Overview
Within the draft community, Ed Oliver is a very polarizing prospect. While his athleticism is off the charts, many wonder just how productive he can be at the next level. At Houston, Oliver racked up 14 sacks, 11 quarterback hits, 48 hurries and 14 batted passes in his collegiate career according to Pro Football Focus.
Fit with the Chiefs
For the Chiefs, Oliver is athletic enough to move outside to strongside defensive end for situational purposes and would be a great complimentary player to Chris Jones on the inside. With the quickness and speed of Oliver and Jones, opposing offensive lines would struggle to match their production level.
For Steve Spagnuolo, a solid rotation of Ed Oliver, Derrick Nnadi and Chris Jones would be ideal. Additionally, the versatility of Oliver and Jones and their ability to move to the outside will be of incredible value. Spagnuolo has loved a heavy rotation of players in the defensive front. Oliver would be an excellent piece and could contribute to throwing opposing offenses off-balance.
What it would take to acquire Ed Oliver
Oliver’s draft value is all over the place, but it would be very unlikely that he falls anywhere close to the Chiefs pick at #29 overall. In most mock drafts, he is projected to go anywhere from pick 4 to pick 14. If he does fall to 14, or even a little later, the Chiefs should be burning up the phone lines for him.
Depending on where he falls, the Chiefs would likely have to give up this year’s first round with a second and potentially more. Personally, I would give up a first, next year’s second and this year’s third for a move up in order to pick Oliver. His upside is higher than most defensive players in the 2019 draft class.