The latest mock draft from Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller is basically a perfect haul of rookies for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Kansas City Chiefs only have five picks in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft at this point, which makes it difficult to get an ideal draft class of rookies when projecting your own hopes onto the team’s selections in various mock drafts. (By the way, if you’re somehow not tuned in to the great DIY mock draft option over at The Draft Network then you’re missing out.)
With five selections, it’s impossible to attend to all of the positions of need on the Chiefs roster. It’s not that the team needs an abundance of talent, but rather it’d be nice to fill current and future roster holes with a plethora of picks. Unfortunately it’s just not possible which means most mock drafts have to pick and choose their positional battles, leaving some areas unattended.
While no draft is perfect, the latest mock from Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller is a wonder of a fake draft class for the Chiefs and, at least speaking for myself, would be a thrilling haul for general manager Brett Veach. Seeing such a complete mock laid out by someone makes it clear how deep of a draft this really is and shows that some great prospects could really fall farther than one might think.
Let’s take a look at who Miller has and why we like it so much:
Round One – Patrick Queen, LB
There are two linebackers at the top of everyone‘s linebacker rankings in this year’s draft: Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray and LSU’s Patrick Queen. Neither is the sort of rare, elite prospect that allows for some linebackers to be taken in the top 5 to 10, but they are the alpha dogs in this class and tha’s important.
Given that linebacker play in general isn’t all that compelling these days, both Murray and Queen are not only projected as first rounders in any mock draft but most often they’re selected before the Chiefs could even take them at the very bottom of the first. A trade could be in the works, but again, the Chiefs only have five picks to utilize over the three-day period.
The idea of Queen falling all the way to No. 32 overall would be a major get for the Chiefs and would likely be the shortest time between a franchise being on the clock and turning in the draft card (or whatever the process looks like this year).
The Chiefs were able to win a Super Bowl with the current crop of linebackers on the roster, but there’s no denying that the unit has lacked dynamism at the heart of the defense ever since Derrick Johnson left. A first-round investment of a well-rounded athletic linebacker like Queen would pay immediate dividends.
Our take: Sprint to the podium. A major get for a significant need.
Round Two – Bryce Hall, CB
You’re likely already a fan of defensive backs from the University of Virginia without even knowing it due to Juan Thornhill‘s excellent rookie season last year. Now it’s time to pair him with a former teammate who could bolster the secondary with further talent and depth at corner.
https://twitter.com/Juan_Thornhill/status/1233449915948421120?s=20
Hall is a physical corner who has the size at 6’1 who has earned multiple comparisons to James Bradberry, the same corner who just signed with the New York Giants for an average of $15 million per year. As much is said about his incredible character and leadership as his strong on-field production, which tells you a lot about Hall as a person.
Hall is a three-year starter for the Cavs but comes with a few questions. Given Virginia’s defensive schemes, Hall isn’t a universal fit for just every team which means a bit of projection on the part of each franchise is necessary. Hall’s season was also cut short due to an ankle that needed surgery. Consequently, he only played in 6 games last year.
In addition, Hall comes with legitimate concerns about his overall top speed and athleticism. However the Chiefs have a dynamic group of safeties and it’s here that Thornhill can help out his longtime friend. Hall, meanwhile, would provide a solid corner who could play some immediate snaps and grow into a much larger role over time. For a team with only two returning experienced corners from last year, the Chiefs would do well to grab Hall here.
Our Take: Given the steep drop at the position after this round, Hall is a relief to find here.
Round Three – Ke’Shawn Vaughn, RB
This is the anomaly. Oh, Matt, if you’d only gone for a different prospect here, of which there were several still available. I’m sure this means, of course, that you’re higher on Vaughn than most analysts, and if you’re right, that would be fine by us. The majority of Chiefs Kingdom seems to be all for the idea of drafting someone to help at running back, but this pick seems too early for Vaughn.
By most accounts, Vaughn is a decent back with a well-rounded skill set. His numbers were strong at Vanderbilt and he was most certainly held back by a frustrating offensive front, but there’s no top-end speed here nor great hands to speak of. He’s not even one of those “impossible to bring down” guys.
It’s just hard to get excited about Vaughn in the Top 100 picks when center Matt Hennessy from Temple, tackle Saahdiq Charles from LSU, wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden from Liberty, or cornerbacks like Amik Robertson from La. Tech and Damon Arnette from Ohio State are all sitting right there.
Our take: Could use help elsewhere.
Round 4 – Nick Harris, IOL
It’s here that the excitement of Miller’s draft picks right back up for the Chiefs. Right now, Nick Allegretti and Austin Reiter are the options at center, but Nick Harris could immediately come in and compete for a backup role along the interior given his starting experience at guard and center at Washington with an eventual eye on the full-time center position if or when he proves himself to be ready.
There are some who believe he’s more ready to play than others, but the consensus is that Harris is an incredible hard worker who has earned everything he’s ever achieved by overcoming hurdles and the journey to pro opportunities will be no different. However, he earns his stripes as a player with his intelligence, technique and agility. The size and strength will be a knock, but he seems ideally suited for Andy Reid‘s front line.
From his most ardent supporters, he’s earned Rodney Hudson comps. If that were true, Harris would be off the board at the end of Day 1 or beginning of Day 2, but it shows that the right fit is going to be super important here. The Chiefs could use the boost.
Our take: Yes, sir!
Round 5 – K.J. Hill, WR
Hill enjoyed a nice senior season with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2019 with a career high of 10 touchdowns to go with 57 catches and 636 receiving yards. His other totals were higher during his junior campaign, but the 6’0, 195 lb. wide receiver showed a nice nose for the end zone as he developed.
Hill needs space to make the play since he’s not a burner by any means nor is he overly physical, but he’s a very polished receiver who can run any route and has excellent technique. He’s a heady receiver who can create space with know-how over physical giftedness and his hands are underrated, too.
For the Chiefs, Hill offers an instant contributor who can come in and quickly pick up what’s being asked of him. It’s also nice for the Chiefs to pick up someone from this talented draft class given that Demarcus Robinson only signed up for one more season and Sammy Watkins, if he remains, only has one year left on his deal as well. There’s room here for a new face in the wideout room and Hill would be a nice fit.
The only surprise here is that Minnesota’s Tyler Johnson is still on the table as well.
Our take: Sounds nice.