Available prospects for the Kansas City Chiefs to consider

Plenty of talent remains on the board for the Kansas City Chiefs, who will be making their first selection of the 2019 NFL Draft in the second round.

The first round of the 2019 NFL Draft came and went, and like every year, there were plenty of surprises. Fortunately, even with the first 32 picks off the board, the Kansas City Chiefs are sitting in good position.

With only one cornerback and two wide receivers being taken in the entire first round, the Chiefs have plenty of options to explore in the second round on Friday afternoon—whether they want to trade up or stick with their current No. 61 and No. 63 overall picks.

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The most prominent positions of need for the Chiefs are cornerback, wide receiver, inside linebacker, offensive line, safety, and outside linebacker. There is significant talent available for each position excluding inside linebacker. However, even at that spot, there is still a prospect available who was projected as a first-round selection.

Let’s take a look at each position and who is available for the Chiefs to consider.

Cornerback

The first cornerback on the list still available as the second round makes its debut on Friday afternoon is Greedy Williams (6’3″, 183 lbs) out of LSU. Williams, who shares his alma mater with new Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu, was projected to go anywhere from 10th overall to 25th overall. His hopes of being drafted in the first round fell short, however, as Williams will now have to wait to hear his name called in the second.

The next cornerback on the list is Byron Murphy (5’11”, 182 lbs) out of Washington. Murphy was another projected first-round pick but will have to wait alongside Williams to be drafted in the second round. A third highly-touted cornerback prospect is Rock Ya-Sin (6’2″, 190 lbs) out of Temple. Ya-Sin was projected to go anywhere from the first round to early second round. His skill set makes him a viable option for any team in need of a cornerback, and if the former two cornerbacks are taken, the Chiefs could potentially trade up in the second round for Ya-Sin.

Wide Receiver

The first round was an interesting one for wide receivers. With Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown and Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry being taken in the first round, there are plenty of talented receivers eagerly awaiting their chance to be selected. At the top of the list of available wide receivers is Ole Miss’ D.K. Metcalf (6’3″, 228 lbs). Metcalf’s availability in the second round comes as a shock to most, as the speedster was projected to go around the middle of the pack in the first round. Metcalf’s freakish speed, size, and athleticism make him a must-have target for the Chiefs if they are able to figure out a way to acquire him.

The second wide receiver still available is A.J. Brown (6’1″, 225 lbs) out of Ole Miss. Brown has perhaps one of the best chances at being the next wide receiver taken, but don’t count him out of the Chiefs’ scope of interest just yet. With at least 1,250 receiving yards in each of his last two collegiate seasons, he is a large and physical target that would instantly bolster any wide receiver corps. He also has potential to be a WR1.

Last but not least, Iowa State’s Hakeem Butler (6’5″, 227 lbs) would also be a nice player for the Chiefs. As one of the best (and largest) wide receivers left on the board, Butler would be a good option should they feel the need to take a receiver early. His 4.48 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine showed teams that he is not just size and physicality, but he also has the requisite speed. Butler had 1,318 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns in his final season at Iowa State.

Offensive Line

A bit of a head-scratcher after the conclusion of the first round was the fact that Florida offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (6’5″, 328 lbs) still remains on the board. Taylor was projected to go as high as the sixth overall pick in some mocks, but will instead have to wait to be selected in the second round. Taylor is one of the top linemen in the draft, and surely the best available among other prospects at his position.

Although Taylor highlights the available offensive linemen, other talented linemen like Kansas State’s Dalton Risner (6’5″, 308 lbs) and Ole Miss’ Greg Little (6’6″, 325 lbs) still remain on the board as well. Both were projected to be potential first-round picks, but will eagerly await the call for the second round.

Inside Linebacker

After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Devin White and the Pittsburgh Steelers traded up to draft Devin Bush, the linebacker class runs rather thin. Still yet, Alabama’s Mack Wilson (6’2″, 239 lbs) highlights the remaining middle linebacker class. Wilson was projected to go to the Chiefs at No. 29 overall in some mock drafts before the latter traded away their first-round pick. As the second round begins this afternoon, Wilson could be another top target for the Chiefs. As one of the highest positions of need, Wilson would fill the role quite nicely.

The inside linebacker class falls off in terms of talent after Wilson. Two prospects available who could go in later rounds are Washington’s Ben Burr-Kirven (6’0″, 230 lbs), and Duke’s Joe Giles-Harris (6’2″, 240 lbs). Wilson is the top target at the position for the Chiefs, but if he is taken in the earlier rounds, it would not be surprising to see Burr-Kirven or Giles-Harris taken by the club as Day 2 (Rounds 2 & 3) rolls into Day 3 (Rounds 4-7).

Safety

The safety position is not an immediate position of need but still deserves to be on this list. The Chiefs released Eric Berry earlier this offseason, but also signed former Houston Texans safety Tyrann Mathieu to a large free agency deal as well. Mathieu’s impact on the team is yet to be determined, but will likely still have a large role. Nevertheless, there is a plethora of talent available at the safety position. Highlighting the safety class is Delaware’s Nasir Adderley (5’11 3/4″, 205 lbs), who was projected to go in the first round as well. Adderley has been mocked to the Chiefs on numerous occasions.

Other safeties who remain a viable option for the Chiefs are Florida’s Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (5’11”, 207 lbs), and Alabama’s Deionte Thompson (6’2″, 194 lbs). Thompson underwent surgery earlier in the year and was projected to fall to the second or even later rounds, so his lack of selection in the first round is not surprising. Thompson would still be a great option for the Chiefs, however, as he is not going to let his surgery hold him back in any case.

Outside Linebacker

Several top outside linebackers like Montez Sweat, Josh Allen, and Brian Burns were all selected in the first round. This leaves a thin class highlighted by Georgia’s D’Andre Walker (6’2″, 251 lbs). Walker could go anywhere from the second to the fourth round, but could still make an impact on the Chiefs’ defense if they were to see him as an option. Other outside linebackers/defensive end hybrids are Florida’s Jachai Polite (6’2″, 242 lbs) and Michigan’s Chase Winovich (6’3″, 256 lbs).

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The Chiefs currently have three picks for Day Two (two in the second, one in the third), which would give the club plenty of wiggle room to take the desired talent. In total, the team has seven picks remaining in the draft, with four late-round picks on Saturday.

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