2020 NFL Draft crushes for the Kansas City Chiefs

Linebacker – Logan Wilson – Wyoming

The Chiefs linebacking group was clearly the weakest part of their defense last season. On top of that, they haven’t made any additions so far this offseason to this position group. In fact, they are actually a man down with Reggie Ragland signing elsewhere in free agency. For that reason, linebacker is at or near the top of many Chiefs fans’ wish list.

I certainly wouldn’t be upset if the Chiefs pulled the trigger on a linebacker in the first round if someone they liked (Kenneth Murray, Patrick Queen, Zack Braun) was still on the board, but if the Chiefs like someone else better in the first round I really like Wyoming’s Logan Wilson as an option in the second or third round.

In today’s NFL, the spotlight is often on linebackers that are physical freaks who blow up the Combine with eye-popping numbers and can run in stride with offensive playmakers down the field. While I certainly wouldn’t have a problem with adding a talent like that, Wilson is the kind of guy that just quietly gets the job done. He is a tackling machine and still graded out great in coverage at Wyoming. He doesn’t flash the amazing upside of a Queen or Murray, but his college production was actually better. Look at these numbers from last season.

• Logan Wilson – 103 tackles, 12 missed tackles, 91.6 PFF run grade, 474 coverage snaps, 81.4 PFF coverage grade, 11 pass deflections, 4 interceptions
• Patrick Queen – 85 tackles, 13 missed tackles, 64.7 PFF run grade, 393 coverage snaps, 82.0 PFF coverage grade, 3 pass deflections, 1 interception
• Kenneth Murray – 96 tackles, 13 missed tackles, 59.8 PFF run grade, 393 coverage snaps, 80.6 PFF coverage grade, 4 pass deflections, 0 interceptions

Now, I’m not saying that Wilson is better than those other two, but Wilson was rock solid last season and shows the traits to stay on the field for all three downs in the NFL. You can see how well he tracks and hunts ball carriers in the clip in the tweet below.

Not only does Wilson show the ability to be a three down NFL linebacker, his size (6-foot-2 and 241 pounds) is in the range that Steve Spagnuolo seems to favor for his defense. That’s why I’m so high on Wilson and think he’d be a great pick in the second or third round if they don’t take one of the higher profile linebackers earlier.

Honorable Mention: Troy Dye – Oregon

While I don’t think he’ll be as effective against the run as Wilson, I think Troy Dye will be a great coverage linebacker in the NFL. At 6-foot-3 and 231 pounds, he’s not tiny, but he’s a little weak at the point of attack against the run. However, he’s got great length and moves in open space really well. I have no doubt that he’ll be able to run with running backs and tight ends in coverage with relative ease.

I don’t know if Dye would really be able to replace Reggie Ragland against the run, but he could be a big upgrade in coverage on passing downs out of the sub package, and in today’s NFL that is a lot more valuable.

Next up, the position that is still at the top of my wish list for the Chiefs.